Tesla v úterý smazala ranní ztráty a obchodovala se v plusu, protože investoři sledují pokrok v AI, robotaxi a humanoidním robotu Optimus. Analytici ale upozorňují, že trh zatím přehlíží slabé fundamenty a nejistou připravenost autonomie.
Buy Tesla (TSLA). The stock is already reacting to AI/robotaxi headlines, and the market is still “de-emphasizing” near-term fundamentals—meaning incremental proof (robotaxi expansion, Cybercab event progress, Optimus demos) can drive a fast multiple re-rate. Analyst sentiment is also skewing more positive than the long-run average (45% Buy vs 55–60% typical), leaving room for upgrades if events confirm momentum. Key risk: FSD/robotaxi performance stays unreliable (frequent disengagement/collisions), forcing investors to treat robots as marketing instead of a scalable business.
Key Risk: FSD/robotaxi fails to scale—disengagements and safety issues keep proving it’s not ready for mass use.
TSLA sell into valuation risk
Sell Tesla (TSLA). The bearish case is simple: valuation assumes autonomy and humanoid robots work on a timeline that current evidence doesn’t support. With operating margin at 1.4%, negative free cash flow, and energy margin down, the stock has little cushion if robotaxi/Cybercab timelines slip. Johnson’s tracked disengagement rate and collision disclosures directly challenge the “ready now” narrative, and the average target ($374) is far below the recent peak. Key risk: Tesla delivers credible, measurable autonomy/robotaxi expansion fast enough to justify the current expectations (not just events, but real-world scale).
Key Risk: Tesla proves autonomy is ready at scale—real robotaxi adoption and performance beat the valuation assumptions.
Tesla TSLA shares reversed earlier losses on Tuesday and were trading in the green as investors focused on the electric-vehicle maker's artificial intelligence ambitions and potential robotaxi and humanoid robot businesses.
Tesla shares entered Tuesday down about 25% year to date and had gained only around 1% over the previous 12 months, reflecting a prolonged period of limited gains as investors await evidence of progress in the company's AI-related businesses.
Tesla launched an AI-trained robotaxi service in June 2025, although its rollout across several cities has been gradual.
The company is also preparing to introduce the Cybercab, a steering-wheel-less robotaxi, according to The Information.
Tesla has separately been developing Optimus, an AI-trained humanoid robot, although investors have had limited recent visibility into its capabilities.
Baird analyst Ben Kallo said investor attention remains focused primarily on Tesla's robots and robotaxis rather than its traditional automotive and energy operations.
He described the current environment as one in which fundamentals have been "extremely de-emphasized."
Kallo rates Tesla Buy and has a $475 price target.
According to FactSet, 45% of analysts covering Tesla rate the shares Buy, below the typical 55% to 60% Buy-rating ratio for S&P 500 companies.
The average analyst price target is around $374, down from a March peak of approximately $415.
GLJ Research reiterated its Sell rating and maintained a $24.86 price target, implying a 92% downside from current price levels.
GLJ Research analyst Gordon Johnson highlighted Tesla's 1.4% operating margin in the second quarter, negative $1.1 billion in free cash flow and a decline in energy gross margin to 20.4%.
Johnson also raised concerns about Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions, arguing that the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) performance does not yet support the expectations built into the stock’s valuation.
He cited tracked data showing FSD v14 on Tesla’s HW4 system disengaging about every 40 miles.
The data covers 865 vehicles, with 18 active in the past week.
Johnson also pointed to 22 collisions reported in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filings over the past 12 months, saying the figures raise questions about whether Tesla’s autonomous driving technology is ready to justify its current valuation.
Those concerns extend to the Cybercab, Tesla’s planned steering-wheel-free robotaxi.
While Johnson expects the planned Austin event to attract attention, he does not view the event itself as evidence that the vehicle is ready for widespread use.
Johnson also questioned Tesla’s valuation estimates for its future businesses.
He cited management estimates of roughly $20 trillion for Optimus, the company’s humanoid robot business, and about $5 trillion for autonomy and other businesses.
SpaceX merger remains a potential catalystInvestors are also watching speculation about a potential combination between Tesla and SpaceX, both led by Elon Musk.
Gary Black, managing partner at The Future Fund, believes there is a high probability of a Tesla-SpaceX merger this year but remains cautious about Tesla's valuation.
He expects SpaceX could potentially make an all-stock offer for Tesla at a roughly 20% premium.
Black said such a transaction could create strategic synergies and simplify Musk's responsibilities across the two companies. However, he also warned that existing Tesla shareholders could face substantial dilution in an all-stock transaction.
Black estimates Tesla is trading at roughly 195 times 2026 earnings and argues that its valuation leaves limited room for attractive returns even with strong long-term earnings growth.
Podle SemiAnalysis spolupracuje Google s AMD na budoucí verzi 10. generace TPU, což by pro AMD znamenalo výrazně větší roli v AI čipech. Google ani AMD to zatím nepotvrdily.
Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD, Financials) may be taking a significantly bigger part in Google's specialized AI hardware approach. SemiAnalysis reports that Google is working with AMD on a future version of their tensor processing unit, or TPU.
The article says AMD might help create Google's 10th-gen TPU, leveraging its competence in CPUs, packaging and networking.
That would be a major turn if confirmed. In the past, Google has relied on other semiconductor partners for some of its custom chip work. AMD has been more renowned for selling CPUs and GPUs directly into data centers.
Such a relationship between Google and AMD would be significant, said Wedbush analyst Matt Bryson, and might indicate the growing relevance of skills in designing ASICs and reusable chip IP. The broader opportunity is evident for investors.
A more prominent role on Google's TPU roadmap could provide AMD another avenue to capitalize on hyperscaler AI spending, in addition to its current accelerator and processor offerings. The only real limitation is that neither Google nor AMD has confirmed the partnership.
Intel and AMD shares suffered sharp declines on Tuesday as a broader market sell-off swept through technology stocks, with investors increasingly concerned about rising borrowing costs, persistent inflation and elevated oil prices.
The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell more than 5%, reflecting the pressure across the chip sector.
Intel INTC shares declined over 7%, while AMD fell roughly 5.5%.
Brent crude futures also rose 0.5% to around three-week highs as hopes for an end to the Middle East conflict faded.
Higher oil prices have renewed concerns about inflation and the potential for interest rates to remain elevated for longer.
The 30-year Treasury yield reached its highest level since 2007, while the benchmark 10-year yield remained near its highest level since January 2025.
Higher long-term yields can be particularly damaging for technology stocks because they reduce the present value of future earnings while increasing financing costs for companies investing heavily in expansion.
"The yields are troubling people because it portends a tighter environment and it's going to be more expensive to borrow money," said Kim Forrest, chief investment officer at Bokeh Capital Partners in a Reuters report.
"Especially in this whole AI thing where time to pay it back is uncertain. It makes for a nervous investor environment."
Intel's decline was compounded by company-specific concerns after UBS lowered its price target to $112 from $121 while maintaining a Neutral rating.
The reduction added to concerns that Intel's near-term upside could remain limited despite its longer-term ambitions in artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing.
A major issue for investors is the dilution resulting from Intel's $20 billion common stock offering, which closed on August 12 at $95 a share.
The offering involved approximately 210.5 million new shares.
Bank of America estimates that the increased share count could reduce Intel's earnings per share by roughly 4% to 5% as the dilution is incorporated into forward estimates.
The bank recently cut its price target to $145 from $160 but retained a constructive view of the company.
BofA argued that the scale of the capital raise demonstrates management's confidence in attracting major customers to Intel's foundry business.
However, the dilution has become a significant overhang for the stock. A positive catalyst from Monday has also faded.
Nvidia's regulatory filing revealing a roughly $30 billion stake in Intel initially boosted sentiment, but investors have since shifted their focus toward dilution and the latest analyst downgrade.
AMD also came under pressure as the broader market decline erased gains linked to the company's recent financing plans.
The chipmaker reportedly priced a $4.75 billion bond offering to help fund its expansion into artificial intelligence and data centers.
The transaction was AMD's largest-ever US dollar bond financing, according to NAI 500.
The debt deal gives AMD additional financial flexibility as it manages upcoming funding requirements, including $875 million in bonds due to mature next month.
The financing comes as AMD attempts to capture a larger share of the rapidly expanding AI accelerator market.
At its Advancing AI event, the company raised its projection for the total AI chips market to $1.4 trillion by 2030, according to TipRanks.
For investors, however, the near-term market environment is making it harder for even strong AI growth stories to escape pressure.
Nike je pod tlakem: akcie za rok klesly o 47,81 % a Bernstein vidí cílovou cenu 72 USD, což znamená asi 84% potenciál růstu. Ve 1. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2027 tržby meziročně klesly o 1 % a v Greater China o 17 % bez vlivu kurzových pohybů.
Nike (NYSE:NKE | NKE Price Prediction) trades at $39.09, while Wall Street’s average price target sits at $50.66, an implied upside of roughly 30%.
Nike is the world’s largest athletic footwear company and one of the most contentious names in consumer discretionary. CEO Elliott Hill’s Win Now turnaround is grinding into a second year, and shares reflect the frustration. Bernstein’s Aneesha Sherman and Nick Anderson carry a $72 target, implying roughly 84% upside. That gap between price and the most bullish coverage is the real story.
A Year That Erased Nearly Half the Stock Nike is down 47.81% over the trailing 12 months. Shares have slid 37.68% year to date and another 7.17% in the past week alone.
The Q1 FY27 report crystallized the problem. Nike beat EPS by 465%, but a $986 million one-time IEEPA tariff recovery added $0.52 per share. Strip it out and EPS was $0.20. Revenue fell 1% year over year, Greater China dropped 17% currency-neutral, and Converse collapsed roughly 32%.
Insiders piled on. From mid-June through early August, CFO Matt Friend, President Amy Montagne, and three other senior executives sold across 13 disclosed transactions in the $41 to $46 range. Open-market executive purchases were zero.
The $72 Bull Case Bernstein Is Not Backing Off Bernstein’s thesis rests on three ideas: Nike is scaling back over-distributed “Classics” like Air Force 1 and Dunk to clear channel inventory, painful but necessary; gross margins should recover before revenue does as promotional clearance winds down; and performance running and basketball continue to grow across major regions while lifestyle transitions.
Management partially supports the view. Running has posted five consecutive quarters of double-digit growth, adding roughly $1 billion in FY26 and gaining 5 market share points in statement footwear across Western Europe and North America. Q1 FY27 gross margin hit 49.2%, up 890 basis points, though the tariff recovery accounted for most of the lift. CFO Matt Friend now expects gross margin expansion to begin in Q1 FY27, earlier than prior guidance.
Coverage is largely on the sidelines: 1 Strong Buy, 11 Buy, 25 Hold, 1 Sell, and 1 Strong Sell. Bernstein’s $72 sits well above the $50.66 consensus. Hill has said Win Now will sunset by the end of calendar 2026, with Investor Day on November 16 to 17 setting a 12 to 18 month window for the thesis to inflect.
The Footwear Group Fell Together, Nike Fell Deepest The athletic footwear peer group sold off broadly over the past year. Nike is the deepest decliner.
Lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU) trades at $115.74 against a $127.92 target for about 10.5% upside. Shares are down 41.68% over one year on Americas comp weakness. Coverage skews to 1 Buy, 29 Hold, 3 Sell, 1 Strong Sell.
On Holding (NYSE:ONON) trades at $31.31 against a $45.40 target, roughly 45% upside. Down 30.94% over a year despite Q2 revenue growth of 13.5% and gross margin of 65.4%. Coverage skews bullish at 6 Strong Buy, 18 Buy, 3 Hold, 1 Sell.
Deckers (NYSE:DECK) trades at $90.11 against a $122.81 target, roughly 36% upside. HOKA keeps growing double-digits and management raised FY27 EPS guidance. Coverage runs 5 Strong Buy, 8 Buy, 11 Hold, 2 Sell. Down just 12.48% over a year, DECK fell least.
On consensus targets alone, ONON leads the group with 45% implied upside. Only Bernstein’s $72 Nike call sits above it.
What the Consensus Actually Says Nike currently trades at $39.09 with a $50.66 consensus target and roughly 30% implied upside, drawn from 39 analyst ratings.
Shares are down 47.81% over the trailing year and 37.68% year to date. The S&P 500 is up 20.08% and 13.31% over those windows.
Nike trades at 19 trailing P/E and 23 forward P/E with a 3.95% dividend yield. Bernstein’s $72 implies 84% upside if the turnaround inflects.
The Investment Case The bull thesis holds if running momentum, the World Cup activation, and the Sport Offense reorganization stabilize NIKE Direct and Greater China over the next two quarters. The bear thesis strengthens if Converse’s collapse widens, China accelerates lower, and underlying ex-tariff revenue keeps sliding.
Bull case: management delivers margin expansion in Q1 FY27, the $18 billion buyback retires shares at depressed prices, and Investor Day reframes the growth story.
Bear case: eight straight EPS beats mean little when net income leans on tariff recoveries, China is falling faster than management concedes, and insider selling clusters into every rally.
Bernstein’s $72 requires a lot to break right. At $39 with a fortress balance sheet, a 4% yield, and running actually growing, the setup tilts toward a slow rebuild over a value trap.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
GF Securities zvýšila cílovou cenu Nvidia na 345 USD z 308 USD a ponechala doporučení Buy před zveřejněním výsledků. Jeff Pu vidí silnou poptávku po platformě Vera Rubin.
received a higher price target from GF Securities as the chipmaker prepares to report quarterly results, with analyst Jeff Pu maintaining a Buy rating and pointing to demand for its next-generation Vera Rubin platform.
Pu lifted his target to $345 from $308. He expects new orders and Nvidia's system design approach to support the product cycle, with additional demand potentially coming from cloud providers and newer AI infrastructure companies.
The analyst also sees Nvidia gaining ground against custom accelerator chips and rival platforms. Microsoft
MSFT +0.36% 96
, Amazon
AMZN +0.04% 93
, Alphabet's Google
GOOG +0.04% 96
, and Oracle
ORCL -1.57% 90
have increased demand for Vera Rubin, according to the note.
Pu said Nvidia could also benefit from higher activity at Anthropic and broader interest in open-weight AI models. The company is scheduled to release fiscal second-quarter results on Aug. 26.
Nvidia je na cestě překonat výkonnost indexu S&P 500 už čtvrtý rok po sobě. Současně podepsala memoranda o porozumění s BlackRock, Blackstone, KKR, Apollo Global Management, Brookfield a Goldman Sachs o financování AI infrastruktury v objemu 500 miliard USD.
Since the start of 2023, Nvidia (NVDA -2.32%) has given its shareholders a staggering 1,440% total return compared to a 113.2% total return for the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.53%). As of market close on Aug. 14, Nvidia was the best-performing "Magnificent Seven" stock year to date and the only one outperforming the Nasdaq-100 -- putting the chipmaker on track to beat the S&P 500 for the fourth straight year.
Here's what investors need to know about Nvidia's latest collaboration with major financial institutions, the risks involved, and why the deals could help Nvidia remain a long-term compounder for years to come.
Image source: Nvidia.
Underwriting AI infrastructure Nvidia is now so massive that it takes considerable earnings growth to move the needle -- specifically from its data center segment, which made up 92% of revenue in the first quarter of its fiscal 2027. It is heavily reliant on a handful of customers -- such as hyperscalers and the leading developers of artificial intelligence (AI) models -- to drive its earnings growth. That concentration is a double-edged sword. It is benefiting Nvidia right now because its key customers' AI capital expenditures continue to climb. But its results could take a significant hit even if one or two of those customers pull back on spending.
To broaden its customer base, Nvidia signed memorandums of understanding with BlackRock, Blackstone, KKR, Apollo Global Management, Brookfield, and Goldman Sachs to pull together $500 billion in long-term capital to fund the build-out of AI infrastructure. In an Aug. 10 interview on CNBC, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang estimated that each gigawatt (GW) of AI compute will cost between $50 billion and $60 billion, meaning the consortium is supporting the build-out of 10 GW of AI compute on the high end.
It remains to be seen whether the memorandums of understanding will translate into real deals and how the money will be raised. But in the CNBC interview, the group of financial partners signaled ample demand in both public and private markets.
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The securitization of AI computing At first glance, $500 billion in AI capital investment appears to be a massive win for Nvidia. The GPU leader won't bear the credit risk of the investment; the financial institutions will. The plan is to securitize AI infrastructure assets, much like how pools of mortgage loans are securitized into mortgage-backed securities. Since the assets all fall under Nvidia's ecosystem, the company's track record and brand power reinforce the credibility of the loans.
The deal essentially places AI infrastructure in the same category as other critical assets, such as electrical transmission lines, bridges, and roads. Financial institutions will raise the capital to turn Nvidia's compute and full-stack AI infrastructure into an investable asset class, owned by public and private investors. Then, that compute can be sold to AI labs, AI start-ups, AI clouds, and other enterprises that need compute.
Of course, selling that compute means little if the customers' cash flows dry up. But Nvidia is confident in the profitability pathway for its existing and potential customers. Jensen Huang said the following in the Aug. 10 interview with CNBC:
I believe within months you're going to realize that these companies are extremely profitable. These are the fastest-growing technology companies in history, and the tokens they're generating are incredibly profitable.
Tokens are basic units of text and data that AI models process. Nvidia prides itself on producing hardware that processes tokens as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Huang stressed that every company and industry will be impacted by the digitalization of intelligence through AI and that the system architecture of the AI compute deal is flexible. Meaning that if one customer needed to scale back their commitments, it would be easy for a new customer to step in -- regardless of the model -- and use that compute in a similar vein as electricity on the grid that can be used interchangeably.
The fungibility of Nvidia's AI compute is arguably the strongest competitive advantage of the deal.
"There will always be a customer for that computing platform," said Huang during the Aug. 10 CNBC interview. "And the reason for that is because, as you know, Nvidia's architecture is fairly universally adopted. It runs every AI model."
Nvidia has plenty of room to run Some investors may view the $500 billion AI financing news as a red flag because it resembles the kind of financial engineering that transformed a housing slowdown into a nationwide financial crisis in 2008. If public and private investors own securities tied to Nvidia AI infrastructure and demand for that infrastructure craters, those securities would lose value -- amplifying the impact of an AI slowdown.
There are plenty of unanswered questions around the structure of the financing deal. But I think the idea is absolutely brilliant for Nvidia.
If you've tuned in to Nvidia's major conferences (like GTC) or its recent earnings calls, you may have noticed an ongoing theme: Nvidia wants to expand beyond one-time hardware sales.
Nvidia is evolving into a product and service ecosystem rather than just a chip business. Its latest Vera Rubin rack-scale high-performance computing platform features GPUs, central processing units, and associated networking and interconnects. Its CUDA software stack is co-designed to work with Vera Rubin. The $500 billion deal helps solidify Nvidia as the most commonly used ecosystem for AI compute customers, which will depend on it to process tokens in the age of AI infrastructure. Token demand will increase in lockstep with the use of generative AI, AI agents, and physical AI (like self-driving cars and robotics) -- in turn benefiting Nvidia through an inferencing-as-a-service revenue stream.
The biggest risk to Nvidia's investment case is how it would endure a slowdown in spending on data center computing. And the best way to address that risk is for Nvidia to get more and more customers involved in its ecosystem, so they depend on its services and upgrade to its latest hardware when the cycle calls for it. It's basically the enterprise-scale version of what Apple does with its consumer electronics products and associated services -- like iCloud, Apple TV, and Apple Music.
Trading now at just 34.5 times earnings and 25.1 times forward earnings, Nvidia remains one of the best AI stocks for long-term investors to buy as the company continues to diversify its revenue streams beyond hyperscale hardware spending.
Akcie NVDA v úterý ráno klesly asi o 2 %, protože vyšší výnosy amerických státních dluhopisů tlačily na čipy i širší trh. BofA přesto drží doporučení na Buy a cíl 350 USD.
Buy NVDA. The selloff is driven by higher Treasury yields and a broad chip pullback, not a break in Nvidia’s AI demand. BofA’s view is that Nvidia’s frontier-AI commitments (supply, land, power, infrastructure) and GPU rental/compute scarcity keep growth durable, and the valuation gap vs its own FCF multiples supports buying weakness ahead of Aug 26.
Key Risk: AI capex slows faster than Nvidia’s commitments can be monetized, cutting rental rates and free-cash-flow growth.
Semis basket buy (memory/CPU laggards)
Buy the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) or VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) selectively, using the broad weakness (WDC, Sandisk, Marvell, Seagate down 6–7%) as entry. If yields stabilize, the market’s “risk-off” move should mean-revert across semis, and Nvidia’s rebound narrative can pull the whole group higher.
Key Risk: Yields keep rising and the macro hit spreads into a sustained earnings downgrade cycle for semis.
Nvidia shares NVDA fell around 2% in early Tuesday trading as higher Treasury yields pressured semiconductor stocks and weighed on the broader market.
The decline came alongside a wider pullback across chip stocks.
Western Digital fell almost 7%, while Sandisk dropped more than 6%. Marvell Technology and Seagate Technology also fell more than 6%.
The S&P 500 declined 0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 191 points, or 0.4%.
The 30-year Treasury yield climbed more than 1 basis point to 5.323%, after reaching its highest level since June 2007 on Monday.
Yields have risen as investors remain concerned about persistent inflation and elevated oil prices.
US crude rose on Monday and gained another 0.9% Tuesday to trade above $85 a barrel as negotiations between the US and Iran stalled.
Nvidia's Tuesday decline comes after a strong rebound in recent weeks.
Shares closed around $225 on Monday for a second consecutive session, a level not seen since mid-May.
The stock's recent advance has pushed its year-to-date gain above 16%, compared with gains of about 15% for the Nasdaq Composite and 13% for the S&P 500.
From the recent market bottom on July 29, Nvidia shares have gained about 15%, compared with a 1.5% advance for the iShares Semiconductor ETF and an almost 2% gain for the VanEck Semiconductor ETF.
Nvidia had trailed those semiconductor baskets for much of the year as investors shifted toward memory and CPU stocks and renewed questions emerged over the sustainability of the company's growth.
The recent rebound has coincided with a broader recovery in the AI infrastructure trade.
Nvidia's increased financial support for key customers is also looking less risky than initially feared, while a new financing initiative could make funding the broader AI buildout more attainable.
New details on revenue growth at OpenAI and Anthropic, both major Nvidia chip customers, have also supported expectations that the companies can continue spending on compute.
Nvidia is scheduled to report its fiscal 2027 second-quarter results on August 26.
BofA maintains bullish view on Nvidia stockBofA Securities reiterated its Buy rating and $350 price target on Nvidia following the company's $105 billion in commitments related to OpenAI.
BofA said after discussions with Nvidia senior management that the chipmaker remains committed to securing chip supply, land, power and infrastructure for frontier AI labs and so-called neo-clouds.
According to BofA, the strategy is intended to diversify Nvidia's customer base beyond public hyperscalers that are increasingly developing their own custom chips.
BofA cited solid GPU rental rates, compute scarcity and Nvidia's free cash flow generation as factors supporting the company's commitments.
The firm also highlighted risks if AI demand slows, which could pressure Nvidia's growth rate and balance sheet.
BofA expects Nvidia to provide more disclosure around its off-balance-sheet commitments when it reports earnings on August 26.
BofA said Nvidia trades at 18 times and 15 times calendar 2027 and 2028 enterprise value to free cash flow, respectively, compared with its blended valuation multiples of 36 times and 22.5 times.
The firm views that valuation gap as a compelling opportunity while maintaining its $350 price target.
Nvidia chce, aby zákazníci kupovali nové AI systémy, ale zároveň dál využívali starší hardware, který podle firmy zůstává produktivní a ekonomicky hodnotný. Hlavní roli v tom má software CUDA.
For years, NVIDIA Corp‘s (NASDAQ:NVDA) AI playbook was simple: build a faster GPU, convince customers to upgrade and repeat.
Now, the chipmaker is advancing a more nuanced message — that customers should embrace its newest AI systems while recognizing that older Nvidia hardware can remain productive, profitable and economically valuable for years.
• NVIDIA shares are under pressure. What’s driving NVDA stock lower?
Nvidia Is Rewriting the AI Upgrade CycleThe shift comes as Nvidia pushes its next-generation Vera Rubin systems while simultaneously making the case that previous generations still have a long runway.
CEO Jensen Huang recently wrote on X:
“The mighty A100 fleet are mission-capable from 2020 through 2029. NVIDIA computing is more than chips. CUDA gives developers and NVIDIA engineers a common platform to continually upgrade Ampere, Hopper and Blackwell throughout their useful lives.”
He continued:
“CUDA makes NVIDIA computing versatile. Versatility makes it fungible. Fungibility drives utilization and extends durability, making NVIDIA compute a productive asset: rentable, durable and financeable.”
That messaging marks a subtle but important evolution. Nvidia is no longer selling only the performance gains of its newest GPUs — it is increasingly emphasizing the long-term economic value of its installed base.
Why Older Nvidia Chips Suddenly Matter MoreThe broader strategy was highlighted in a recent report by The Information, which noted that Nvidia is trying to accomplish two seemingly conflicting goals: persuade customers to buy its latest AI chips while assuring them that older hardware will continue holding value for years.
At first glance, those objectives appear difficult to reconcile. Faster release cycles encourage more frequent upgrades, while longer useful lives could reduce the urgency to replace existing systems.
But the tension makes more sense in today’s AI market.
Demand for AI computing infrastructure continues to outstrip supply, meaning customers often value access to GPUs — whether they’re the latest Blackwell systems or older Ampere-based hardware. As AI adoption expands beyond hyperscalers and frontier model developers, more cost-conscious enterprises may also find older GPUs sufficient for many inference and production workloads.
That’s an inference based on Nvidia’s messaging and industry dynamics. Nvidia itself has focused on the versatility of its software platform and the durability of its hardware rather than suggesting customers should delay upgrades.
Read Next
CUDA Is Becoming Nvidia’s Competitive AdvantageThe common thread across Nvidia’s messaging isn’t the chip itself — it’s CUDA (compute unified device architecture).
Huang argues that software continuously improves the performance and efficiency of deployed hardware, allowing AI infrastructure to become more valuable over time rather than steadily depreciating.
In a recent essay, he wrote that AI factories possess the characteristics of an investable infrastructure asset because they “produce revenue, serve a broad market, improve in performance over time and can be redeployed.”
That represents a meaningful shift in how Nvidia is positioning its business. Instead of framing GPUs as rapidly aging technology, the company is increasingly describing AI compute as long-lived infrastructure capable of generating returns throughout its useful life.
What Nvidia Investors Should Watch NextNvidia’s messaging doesn’t signal an end to annual product cycles or demand for its latest AI systems. Large cloud providers and frontier AI labs are still expected to pursue the company’s most advanced hardware as performance remains a competitive advantage.
The bigger question is whether Nvidia can successfully convince a broader enterprise market that older GPUs still have economic value while continuing to persuade its largest customers to upgrade every generation.
If it can, Nvidia may have found a way to expand AI adoption without undermining the premium pricing of its newest chips.
Read Next
Image via Shutterstock
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Virgin Galactic získala konečné soudní schválení narovnání akcionářských derivativních žalob. Pojišťovny zaplatí 2,75 mil. USD, z čehož si společnost ponechá polovinu a druhá polovina připadne právním zástupcům žalobců na honoráře a náklady. V souvislosti s narovnáním soud neshledal žádné pochybení společnosti ani jejích ředitelů či vedoucích pracovníků.
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) ("Virgin Galactic" or the "Company") today announced that on August 14, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (the "District Court") issued an order granting final approval of the settlement resolving all claims pending in the shareholder derivative actions captioned In re Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. Derivative Litigation, Case No. 1:22-cv-00933 (E.D.N.Y.) and St. Jean v. Branson et al., Case No. 1:22-cv-7551 (E.D.N.Y.).
As part of the settlement, the Company’s insurers will pay $2.75 million to Virgin Galactic, half of which the Company will retain, with the remaining half paid to plaintiffs’ counsel for attorneys’ fees and costs. In accordance with the District Court’s order, all claims in these actions, and all other claims related to or based upon the allegations in these actions, have been fully released.
In connection with the settlement, there was no finding of wrongdoing by the Company or any of its directors or officers.
About Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and space travel company that enables safe, repeatable commercial human spaceflight and high-altitude scientific discovery. With its advanced air-launch vehicles and industry-leading cost structure, the company is preparing to take humans to space at an unprecedented rate, creating transformative personal experiences and supporting advanced suborbital study and strategic government initiatives. Discover how Virgin Galactic is driving innovation and scaling its business at https://www.virgingalactic.com/.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260818938468/en/
Akcie Netflixu vzrostly v úterý v poledním obchodování o 4 % poté, co Pershing Square Billa Ackmana oznámila novou pozici. Akcie jsou ale letos stále o 16 % níže.
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Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX | NFLX Price Prediction) shares are up 4% to $78.80 in Tuesday midday trading after Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square disclosed a new position in the streaming company. The catalyst stands out because Netflix stock is climbing well ahead of its closest streaming peers on the day.
Shares are still down 16% year to date (YTD) through Monday’s close, and the stock has fallen 37% over the past year. The rally partially offsets that decline. What makes the trade notable is that Ackman previously owned this same name in 2022 and exited at a loss.
Ackman’s Pershing Square Rebuilds a Netflix Position In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Pershing Square laid out its Netflix thesis directly. Ackman has separately stated that Netflix has “won the streaming wars”:
We acquired a position in Netflix, a business we briefly owned in 2022 and have followed closely ever since. Netflix is the dominant global streaming platform with over 325 million subscribers, nearly double the combined base of its two closest competitors, Disney+ and HBO Max. When we first invested in early 2022, investors feared an escalating content arms race among a crowded field of streaming entrants. At the same time, cash content spend substantially exceeded content amortization, weighing on free cash flow. The launch of a previously disavowed advertising tier added further uncertainty.
Pershing Square filed under Schedule 13G on August 14, days before the news catalyzed Tuesday’s move. That filing carries a passive intent designation, though the 2022 attempt ended in a loss, which sits in tension with the current re-entry.
Streaming Peers Barely Move Disney (NYSE:DIS) stock is up 0.9% to $104.51 on Tuesday. The parent runs Disney+ and Hulu alongside ESPN and its Experiences theme park and cruise business, and Disney stock is down 8% YTD through Monday’s close.
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) shares are up 0.4% to $28.04. The company operates HBO Max and discovery+ alongside its Studios and Global Linear Networks segments, and WBD stock is down 3% YTD through Monday’s close.
Both are the specific competitors Ackman’s letter names, which is why their near-flat trading is the point. Investors are treating this as news about Netflix’s shareholder register, not the competitive balance in streaming.
Sector ETF Signal Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLC) shares are up 0.3% to $111.18. Netflix is a constituent of the fund, and the near-flat print against Netflix’s gain shows how a single holding’s move dilutes across the basket. The ETF is not leveraged, and it concentrates in a handful of large communication names, which further muffles idiosyncratic moves.
The fund is down 5% YTD through Monday’s close. That trajectory sits closer to Disney’s and Warner Bros. Discovery’s than to Netflix’s, which confirms the sector did not reprice on Tuesday.
Valuation and Analyst Picture Netflix stock carries a trailing P/E ratio of 28.83x on a market capitalization of roughly $328.1 billion. Disney stock trades at 14.41x, so the bull case here leans on dominance rather than cheapness. That gap is the counterweight to any thesis built on a cheap starting multiple.
Sell-side coverage runs strongly positive. On a 1-to-5 scale, Netflix stock has an average brokerage recommendation of 1.63 from 50 firms, between Strong Buy and Buy. Zacks assigns a Rank of 3, or Hold, with the current-year consensus earnings estimate unchanged at $3.59 over the past month.
The streamer operates in more than 190 countries approaching 1 billion members, produces originals in more than 50 countries, and has expanded into live NFL games, boxing, MLB events and WWE programming. Some 144 hedge fund portfolios held Netflix at the end of Q1 2026, down from 146 the prior quarter.
What to Watch Next The open questions center on whether Netflix’s ad-tier revenue scales, whether subscriber growth stabilizes, and whether estimate revisions turn higher. Pershing Square’s first attempt at this trade ended in a loss in 2022, which sits in tension with Ackman’s dominance argument.
Investors could look for signs that ad-tier monetization is accelerating alongside membership additions. Traders may want to keep an eye on whether Netflix stock holds above recent levels into the next round of estimate revisions.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Walmart očekává výsledky za 2. fiskální čtvrtletí s odhadem tržeb 186,3 miliardy USD a ziskem 73 centů na akcii. Firma očekává růst tržeb ve stálé měně o 4 % až 5 % a provozního zisku o 7 % až 10 %.
Key Takeaways Walmart enters Q2 earnings with steady traffic, e-commerce growth and expanding omnichannel capabilities. WMT expects Q2 constant-currency sales growth of 4%-5% and operating income growth of 7%-10%. Walmart faces fuel-cost pressure, cautious lower-income consumers and a premium industry valuation. Walmart Inc. (WMT - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter fiscal 2027 results on Aug. 20, with healthy momentum supported by steady customer traffic, e-commerce and marketplace growth, a strong value proposition and expanding omnichannel capabilities. Investors will likely watch whether digital strength, higher unit volumes and an improving business mix can support profit growth despite elevated fuel costs and cautious consumer spending.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues stands at $186.3 billion, indicating an increase of nearly 5% from the same period last year. The consensus mark for earnings has fallen by a penny in the past 30 days to 73 cents per share, which, however, suggests a 7.4% jump from the figure reported in the year-ago period.
Walmart has a trailing four-quarter negative surprise of 0.6%, on average. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered an earnings surprise of 1.5%.
What the Zacks Model Predicts for WMT’s Q2 EarningsAs investors prepare for WMT’s quarterly announcement, the question looms regarding an earnings beat or miss. Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Walmart this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Walmart has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of +0.71% at present. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Factors Likely to Aid WMT’s Q2 ResultsWalmart’s second-quarter performance is likely to have benefited from continued strength in its value proposition as consumers sought savings amid pressure on household budgets. Management entered the quarter with roughly 7,200 rollbacks and indicated that it would continue leaning into price investments to reinforce customer loyalty and market-share gains. The combination of everyday low prices, broader assortment and convenience is likely to have supported transactions and unit volumes. Management expects second-quarter constant-currency sales growth of 4%-5%.
Continued e-commerce and marketplace momentum is also likely to aid results. Walmart has been improving delivery speeds by leveraging its stores, clubs and fulfillment infrastructure, while broader third-party assortment has helped deepen customer engagement. Supply-chain automation and AI-led inventory and fulfillment improvements may have enhanced productivity and operating leverage.
The company’s evolving profit mix is likely to have remained another positive. Higher-margin advertising, membership and marketplace businesses have become increasingly meaningful contributors to profitability. Sam’s Club’s membership fee increase became effective May 1, potentially providing an incremental benefit during the quarter. Management expects second-quarter constant-currency operating income growth of 7%-10% and indicated that profitability should accelerate from first-quarter levels.
Potential Headwinds to WMT’s Q2 ResultsElevated fuel costs are expected to have remained a notable margin pressure and may have contributed to higher retail-price inflation. Lower-income consumers also appeared increasingly budget-conscious amid pressure on household spending, per the last earnings call.
Apart from this, management expects the merchandise-mix benefit in the second quarter to be less pronounced than in the prior quarter, which received some support from higher tax refunds. These factors may have partly offset the benefits from Walmart’s solid sales momentum and improving business mix.
WMT Stock Price PerformanceOver the past year, Walmart stock has rallied 12.9% compared with the industry’s growth of 11.6% and the Zacks Retail – Wholesale sector’s jump of 3.1%. Meanwhile, WMT underperformed the S&P 500’s 23.7% rise during the same period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
In the said time frame, Walmart surpassed other retailers such as The Kroger Co. (KR - Free Report) , Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) and Dollar General Corporation (DG - Free Report) . While DG shares have gained 6.4% over the past year, KR and COST have declined 20.4% and 2.8%, respectively.
Walmart’s Valuation PictureWalmart shares are currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 36.98, above the industry average of 33.98 but below the stock’s one-year median of 38.67. The company also commands a sizable premium to peers Kroger and Dollar General, which trade at forward P/E multiples of 10.4 and 15.55, respectively. However, Walmart’s valuation remains below Costco’s multiple of 42.5.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The premium valuation relative to the industry and several peers suggests that the market is assigning considerable value to Walmart’s scale, defensive characteristics, omnichannel capabilities and expanding higher-margin businesses. At the same time, the multiple leaves less room for execution missteps, making sustained sales and profit growth important for supporting the valuation.
How to Play WMT Stock Now?Walmart’s resilient traffic trends, e-commerce momentum, expanding higher-margin businesses and improving operating leverage offer a favorable setup ahead of the second-quarter release. The positive Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank #3 also point to increased odds of an earnings beat. However, elevated fuel costs, pressure on lower-income consumers and a premium valuation warrant some caution. Against this backdrop, existing investors may consider holding the stock, while new investors may prefer to await greater clarity on earnings momentum and margin trends.
Mexické bankovní divize šesti velkých globálních finančních institucí se dohodly na vyrovnání 86,4 mil. USD v žalobě kvůli údajnému ovlivňování cen mexických státních dluhopisů. Dohoda ještě čeká na schválení soudem.
Key Takeaways Six banks agree to an $86.4M settlement over alleged Mexican bond price and allocation coordination.Earlier Barclays and JPMorgan settlements lift potential investor payments to $107.1M before fees.The agreement needs court approval and resolve claims without admissions of alleged manipulation. Mexican banking affiliates of six major global financial institutions have agreed to pay $86.4 million to settle a long-running U.S. antitrust lawsuit alleging manipulation of the Mexican government bond market.
The preliminary settlement involves affiliates of six banks including Bank of America (BAC - Free Report) , Citigroup (C - Free Report) , Deutsche Bank (DB - Free Report) and HSBC Holding plc (HSBC - Free Report) . Filed in Manhattan federal court on Friday, Aug. 14, the agreement would resolve the remaining claims in litigation that has been pending for roughly eight years. The settlement still requires approval from a federal judge.
Combined with earlier settlements by Barclays and JPMorgan Chase (JPM - Free Report) , the case is expected to produce $107.1 million in total payments before legal fees. Investors alleged that banks coordinated prices and allocations of Mexican sovereign bonds between 2006 and 2017, using trader communications to buy at artificially low prices and sell at inflated prices.
The case includes claims under the Sherman Antitrust Act and common-law unjust enrichment. Plaintiffs' attorneys could seek up to $28.8 million in fees.
Investors Allege Banks Manipulated Mexican Bond PricesThe lawsuit was brought on behalf of investors, including pension funds, that traded Mexican government bonds. Plaintiffs alleged that Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and HSBC participated in a broader scheme to coordinate prices and bond allocations between Jan. 1, 2006, and April 19, 2017. The allegations cited electronic chatroom communications among traders and included claims under the Sherman Antitrust Act and common-law unjust enrichment.
According to investors, traders allegedly coordinated transactions so participating banks could buy bonds at artificially low prices and sell them at inflated prices. The claims cited electronic communications among traders and were brought under the Sherman Antitrust Act and common-law unjust enrichment.
The case gained momentum in February 2024, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit revived claims against the Mexican bank defendants. A lower court had dismissed the case on personal-jurisdiction grounds, but the appeals court found that investors had sufficiently alleged that the banks conducted business in New York through broker-dealers that sold billions of dollars of Mexican bonds to U.S. investors.
The appellate ruling did not determine whether the manipulation allegations were true. It instead allowed the lawsuit to proceed, paving the way for settlement discussions involving BAC, C, DB and HSBC.
U.S. Lawsuit and Mexican Probe Raise Broader Market ConcernsThe U.S. litigation follows a separate investigation by Mexico's competition regulator, COFECE. In January 2021, the regulator said that it identified 142 illegal agreements involving seven banks and 11 traders in Mexican government-debt transactions between 2010 and 2013.
The Mexican proceeding included several institutions also connected with the U.S. litigation, while Barclays and JPMorgan Chase had already reached earlier settlements in the U.S. case.
The Mexican regulatory case and the U.S. investor lawsuit are separate proceedings with different periods and legal claims. Still, both increased scrutiny of trading practices in Mexico's sovereign-debt market.
The latest $86.4-million agreement remains subject to court approval. If approved, the agreement would resolve the remaining claims in the litigation. Together with the previous settlements involving Barclays and JPM, investors would secure $107.1 million in total, bringing the long-running antitrust dispute closer to an end.
What $86.4M Mexican Bond Settlement Means for Major BanksThe proposed settlement would remove a long-running legal overhang for Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and HSBC, allowing the banks to resolve the remaining U.S. claims without a trial or admission that the alleged manipulation occurred. Given the size and financial resources of these global banks, the settlement payments are unlikely to have a material effect on their overall capital positions or earnings. However, the agreement highlights the continuing legal, compliance and reputational risks associated with historical trading practices.
For BAC, C, DB and HSBC, the resolution should modestly reduce litigation uncertainty. Investors are therefore more likely to view the settlement as manageable legal expenses and a reduction in uncertainty rather than a development capable of materially altering the banks' near-term financial outlooks.
Target oznámí výsledky za 2. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 19. srpna; odhady analytiků počítají s tržbami 26,10 mld. USD a EPS 2,26 USD. Model Zacks navíc naznačuje další překonání odhadů.
Key Takeaways Target is set to report Q2 fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 19, with revenue and EPS estimates pointing to growth.Target's merchandising, digital convenience and inventory initiatives may have supported Q2 performance.Tough comparisons, first-half cost pressures and a recent share rally temper Target's favorable setup. With Target Corporation (TGT - Free Report) set to announce its second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings results on Aug. 19, before the market opens, investors face a critical question: Can TGT continue its streak of surprising results, or will challenges in the retail space temper growth?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues stands at $26.10 billion, indicating a 3.5% increase from the prior-year reported figure. On the earnings front, the consensus estimate has risen by a couple of cents to $2.26 per share over the past seven days, implying a 10.2% year-over-year jump.
Target has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.2%, on average. In the last reported quarter, this Minneapolis-based company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 21.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
What the Zacks Model Indicates for TGT’s Q2 EarningsAs investors prepare for Target’s second-quarter results, the question looms regarding an earnings beat or miss. Our proven model predicts that an earnings beat is likely for Target this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Target has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +4.59%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Factors Likely to Have Shaped Target's Q2 OutcomeTarget’s sharpened merchandising strategy is likely to have supported second-quarter performance, with the retailer continuing to emphasize newness, relevance and value across key categories. Management entered the quarter with plans for a major refresh of its grocery assortment and the early stages of a broader reinvention of the home business while maintaining momentum in beauty, health and wellness, baby, toys and food. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off in June, may also have provided an incremental traffic and demand tailwind during the quarter. Target has also been leaning into culturally relevant, exclusive partnerships and trend-driven assortments that can create excitement and encourage store visits.
Alongside merchandising improvements, Target has been investing in store staffing, training and operating tools with the aim of improving service, product availability and checkout experiences. It has also been working to improve inventory reliability, particularly in frequently purchased categories such as food, essentials and beauty, while using better forecasting and supply-chain visibility to keep products available when guests need them. These initiatives could have supported traffic and conversion by making stores easier to shop and reducing operational friction.
Target’s expanding digital and convenience ecosystem may also have contributed positively. The company continues to build around same-day fulfillment, Target Circle services, and its stores-as-hubs model, giving customers greater flexibility in how they shop and receive purchases. At the same time, businesses such as Roundel, Target Circle membership offerings, and the Target+ marketplace have been adding another layer of growth beyond traditional merchandise sales. Continued investments in stores, remodels, fulfillment capabilities and supply-chain infrastructure should also have helped Target better support digital demand while improving speed and reliability. Together, these efforts may have strengthened customer engagement and broadened the company’s sources of growth during the second quarter.
That said, management had cautioned about a tough year-over-year comparison as Target began cycling a strong prior-year period that benefited from a major gaming-product launch. The benefit from higher tax refunds seen in the first quarter should fade over the rest of the year. Cost pressures are another concern, as Target expected certain headwinds related to new-store openings, remodels and shrink to be more pronounced in the first half of the year.
Target Stock Price PerformanceTarget, which competes with Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) and Dollar General Corporation (DG - Free Report) , has seen its shares rally 18.7% against the industry’s decline of 2.2%. While shares of Costco have declined 12.9%, Dollar General has advanced 16%.
TGT vs. Peers
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Does Target Present a Strong Case for Value Investing?Target’s valuation remains discounted relative to the industry. The stock currently trades at a forward 12-month P/E multiple of 17.34, well below the industry average of 31.18. However, TGT is trading above its 12-month median P/E of 14.46, suggesting that while the stock remains attractively valued versus peers, it is no longer as inexpensive relative to its recent historical range.
Target is trading at a discount to Costco (42.50) but at a premium to Dollar General (15.55).
TGT's P/E F12M Multiple
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Final Words on Target StockTarget appears well positioned heading into its second-quarter earnings release, supported by improving merchandising execution, stronger digital and convenience capabilities, better inventory availability and continued investments in the guest experience. The earnings setup also appears favorable, with the Zacks model indicating a higher likelihood of another earnings beat. Still, tougher year-over-year comparisons, first-half cost pressures and the stock’s recent rally warrant some restraint, particularly as the shares are no longer as inexpensive relative to their recent valuation history. Current investors may consider holding their positions ahead of the release, while prospective investors could look to accumulate the stock selectively rather than chase the recent gains. A stronger-than-expected second-quarter report and encouraging commentary could support further upside.
Target čeká ve 2. čtvrtletí tržby 26,13 miliardy USD a EPS 2,32 USD. Návštěvnost obchodů vzrostla ve 2. čtvrtletí meziročně o 4,7 %, tedy více než u Walmartu, kde činila 0,7 %.
Target Q2 Earnings EstimatesAnalysts expect Target to report second-quarter revenue of $26.13 billion, up from $25.21 billion in last year’s second quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
The company has beaten analyst estimates for revenue in five of the last quarters, including the most recently reported first quarter.
Analysts expect Target to report second-quarter earnings per share of $2.32, up from $2.05 in last year’s second quarter.
The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in four straight quarters and in seven of the last 10 quarters overall.
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Target Analyst Ratings and CommentaryTarget’s turnaround has attracted positive commentary from analysts and higher price targets as the stock soars in 2026.
Even some of the analysts with bearish ratings have raised price targets to close to where shares trade now or slightly below, suggesting there may not be more upside, but also that downside is limited even after the surge in the share price.
Here are some of the most recent Target analyst ratings and price targets:
DA Davidson: Maintained Buy rating, raised the price target from $155 to $170Telsey: Maintained Outperform rating, raised the price target from $150 to $170Truist Securities: Maintained Hold rating, raised the price target from $130 to $147Piper Sandler: Maintained Neutral rating, raised the price target from $127 to $146Jefferies: Maintained Buy rating, raised the price target from $161 to $177RBC Capital: Maintained Outperform rating, raised the price target from $153 to $166Key Items to WatchTarget stock has been on fire in 2026 and a strong earnings report and guidance are likely needed to keep momentum going.
The retailer posted a double beat in the first quarter, which comes as recent quarterly results have struggled to beat analyst estimates for revenue.
First-quarter comparable sales were up 5.6% year-over-year with comparable traffic up 4.4% year-over-year. Target said it saw net sales increase across all six core merchandising categories.
Target could be in for more gains in the second quarter based on traffic trends. A Placer.ai report says visits to Target stores were up 4.7% year-over-year in the second quarter. That comes in higher than a gain of 0.7% for rival Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT).
Here are the year-over-year visit performance by month in the report for the two retailers:
April: Target +5.3%, Walmart +1.2% May: Target +4.6%, Walmart +0.7% June: Target +4.4%, Walmart +0.2% July: Target +7.3%, Walmart +2.4% The data shows that Target could have higher visitor growth than Walmart and based on normal spending habits, this could mean gaining market share. While July won’t factor into second-quarter results, this is the top month for Target on a year-over-year visits basis according to Placer.ai, which could factor into guidance.
Target raised its 2026 sales outlook after first-quarter results. Analysts and investors could be expecting another raise to guidance with a strong report. The July visits data could suggest that sales are trending higher in the third quarter.
Target Stock Price ActionTarget stock is up 1% to $152.51 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $83.44 to $156.47. Target stock is up 52.8% year-to-date, recently hitting two-year highs.
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$289.10▼
$426.752.75%
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$373.89
Home Depot’s NYSE: HD stock price signaled a trend-following entry earlier this year, having completed a head-and-shoulders reversal at a critical uptrend line.
Momentum was recently boosted by a solid Q2 report, which revealed inherent strengths despite the tepid housing market, with professional and small projects contributing to growth and margin. The impact of IEEPA tariff refunds was in the mix, but viewed as a positive, given unexpectedly higher input costs.
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Home Depot’s capital return, centered on dividends, remains safe and reliable. The outlook for sustainability and distribution increases is improving, and that’s what keeps buy-and-hold investors who own so much of HD stock in the mix. HD’s buy-and-hold quality is reflected in its institutional holdings, which account for 70% of the float, and its retail holdings, which account for virtually all of the remaining shares.
Institutions, the larger of the two groups, provide a solid support base, with their activity aligning with the technical Buy signal. MarketBeat data reveals them accumulating at a robust 4.5-to-1 pace over the trailing 12 months, with activity ramping in early Q3 ahead of the Q2 release. The Q3 ramp is particularly telling, as it is the strongest buying signal the group has given in approximately three years.
Home Depot's Q2 Tops Estimates on Stronger-Than-Expected DemandHome Depot had a decent quarter, with revenue growing by 5.7% to $47.9 billion, about $660 million better than expected. The 140 basis points of outperformance came from solid comps, up 1.7%, with a transaction decline offset by a higher ticket average. Within the mix, small projects were a surprising strength, helping to offset price increases and keep margins healthy.
Margin was a strength, though mixed factors are at play. On the one hand, costs are rising, leading to margin contraction and slower earnings growth. On the other hand, operational performance, unexpected consumer strength, leverage from new stores, and the impact of tariff refunds largely offset the cost increase.
Net income of $4.8 billion was up approximately 5% year-over-year, as was the adjusted $4.92 in earnings per share (EPS), and both came in better than forecasted. Adjusted EPS outperformed MarketBeat’s consensus by approximately 400 basis points, suggesting the guidance is cautious.
The company reaffirmed guidance, calling for about 3.5% revenue growth, 1% comp store growth, about 2% EPS growth, and 15 new stores. EPS growth is underpinned by tariff refunds, which are expected to continue offsetting cost increases, but fundamental strengths are also present. The growing store count and comp-store strength suggest outperformance is possible.
Home Depot Analysts See a Path to $375 and BeyondThe analysts' response to the release included caution, specifically focused on margin compression and cost increases, but was otherwise very bullish.
Current Price$342.10High Forecast$430.00Average Forecast$373.89Low Forecast$310.00Home Depot Stock Forecast Details
Analysts from Wells Fargo, Royal Bank of Canada, and Jefferies cited margin outperformance, comp-store strength, and surprising strength in small projects in their commentaries. They highlighted the importance of tariff refunds amid rising costs, but see an improved setup and a higher stock price by year’s end. The implication is clear: renewed confidence in the 12-month forecast, which pegs the stock as a Moderate Buy with a price target near $375.
That consensus price target doesn't represent a robust upside, but rather is a stepping stone to higher prices down the road. A move to $375 would put this market in the high end of its trading range and on track for a breakout. The question is when it will come, and it may not be until well into 2027. By then, the market should have a clearer view.
High Rates Keep Home Depot's Recovery on HoldThe next major catalyst for Home Depot is the unsticking of housing markets, which is not expected until later in 2027, if at all in 2027. The primary hurdle is interest rates, which are unlikely to fall substantially in the foreseeable future. The more likely scenario is that rates remain high through year’s end and well into next year, given high prices and their impact on inflation.
Until then, small projects and maintenance will continue to drive Home Depot’s business and dividend payments. Worth an annualized 2.7% while near the critical support level, HD’s dividend payment is about 65% of its earnings, has been increased for more than 15 consecutive years, and runs a high-single-digit compound annual growth rate.
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Home Depot ve 2. čtvrtletí překonal odhady EPS i tržeb, když vykázal EPS 4,92 USD a tržby 47,86 miliardy USD, ale slabá poptávka po velkých rekonstrukcích dál brzdí růst. Oppenheimer proto zůstává opatrný a dává přednost Lowe’s.
LOW is the preferred vehicle because it’s cheaper (about 18x forward vs HD ~24x) while still benefiting from any eventual pent-up demand. If macro keeps remodeling weak, LOW’s valuation gives more downside protection, and the company has more “self-help” room to improve execution versus HD in a slow housing backdrop.
Key Risk: LOW’s comps deteriorate more than HD’s (share loss or worse execution), making the valuation discount a value trap.
Sell Home Depot (HD)
HD beat Q2 EPS/sales, but the “missing piece” is still there: large-ticket remodeling/overhaul demand is soft because homeowners won’t use HELOCs and high long-term rates keep financing tight. That caps upside and keeps HD rangebound despite operational execution. Sell HD now and wait for real rate-driven housing turnover to show up in big-ticket comps.
Key Risk: Mortgage/long-term rate relief arrives faster than expected and big-ticket remodeling demand re-accelerates, breaking HD out of its trading range.
Home Depot HD shares are inching higher on Tuesday morning after the retailer posted market-beating financials for its second quarter.
The home improvement retailer recorded $4.92 a share of earnings (EPS) on $47.86 billion in sales – beating consensus estimates set at $4.73 per share and $47.23 billion respectively.
Despite the top and bottom-line beat, however, Oppenheimer’s senior analyst Brian Nagel says a key fundamental growth engine remains missing, which recommends caution in playing HD stock.
At the time of writing, Home Depot is hovering around the same price at which it started 2026.
The critical missing piece for Home Depot shares that Nagel outlined in a post-earnings interview with CNBC is the continued softness in large-ticket remodeling and home overhaul projects.
While seasonal categories like yard maintenance and everyday maintenance items did admirably, helping 13 out of 16 merchandising departments post positive comparable sales, consumers continue to pull back from discretionary financing.
Home Depot CFO Richard McPhail noted that homeowners remain hesitant to take out home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) or borrow against their homes to fund larger renovations.
With sticky inflation and high long-term interest rates lingering across the fixed-income market, homeowners are choosing to stay on the sidelines despite sitting on historic levels of home equity.
This structural macro headwind limits the retailer’s upside potential – keeping Nagel cautious and firm on his hold-equivalent rating for HD shares.
A domestic comparable sales print of 1.3% demonstrates effective operational execution and market share gains, but it remains well below the company’s historical performance in a normalized housing environment.
“I don't predict rates, but from my seat, I do not see a quick fix to the rate issue we have in the US,” Nagel observed, citing elevated oil prices and broader macroeconomic stickiness as factors prolonging the stagnation in US housing turnover.
Until rate relief materializes to unlock housing mobility, the Oppenheimer analyst expects Home Depot stock to remain rangebound.
When evaluating investment opportunities in the home improvement retail sector, Oppenheimer maintains a clear preference for Lowe's Companies (LOW), reiterating an Outperform rating on Lowe’s over Home Depot.
Valuation plays a central role in this recommendation: Home Depot trades at about 24x forward earnings, whereas LOW shares trade at a more attractive discount of roughly 18x earnings.
Nagel views Lowe’s as the superior vehicle for investors looking to navigate the current macroeconomic slowdown, pointing to greater potential for internal operational improvements and "self-help" drivers.
All in all, while both retailers stand well-positioned to capitalize on massive pent-up demand once mortgage rates eventually ease, Lowe's Companies offers a better risk-reward entry point in the interim.
McDonald's oznámil, že růst tržeb v porovnatelných prodejnách v USA zpomalil ve 2. čtvrtletí na 0,8 %, protože návštěvnost výrazně oslabila. Firma zároveň vyměnila šéfa amerického byznysu Joea Erlingera.
On Aug. 4, McDonald's (MCD +1.16%) reported that U.S. same-store sales growth slowed to just 0.8% as "business slowed significantly" in the second quarter. CEO Chris Kempczinski pinned the shortfall on the company's own execution, and U.S. chief Joe Erlinger was replaced the same day in what the company called a "planned transition."
For a brand built on consistency, the results since last year have been anything but. That's when traffic patterns within the restaurant industry began to change as diners became more value-conscious.
At roughly 20.5 times forward earnings, the stock trades below its five-year average, pricing in modest earnings growth from here. So, is this an opportunity now for investors?
Image source: The Motley Fool.
The value prop didn't register McDonald's spent years raising prices to offset inflation. By last fall, Kempczinski acknowledged that lower-income diners had been pulling back for a couple of years. The company responded by relaunching Extra Value Meals, which drove a recovery, with U.S. same-store sales growing 3.9% in the first quarter of 2026. In April, management expanded the value platform with a new under-$3 menu and a $4 breakfast meal deal.
But the rollout gave operators too much leeway, leading a third of franchisees to price items higher than originally intended. To fund the new menu, management also pulled back on digital offers and removed the Buy One, Add One for $1 deal that loyal customers relied on. Kempczinski called the combination "a bad trade."
Traffic fell in the second quarter, even as comps rose 0.8% on higher average checks. Management said U.S. comps were "slightly negative" in July, and the timeline for a fix could run beyond the third quarter. The company also pushed its 50,000-restaurant target back a year, to 2028, citing the consumer backdrop and higher development costs.
The landlord has staying power McDonald's is a burger chain that doubles as one of the world's largest landlords. The company collects more than $10 billion in annual rent from its franchisees. It owns the buildings of roughly 80% of its 45,000-plus restaurants and the land under about 56% of them.
This real estate portfolio, in which rent tops royalties by billions of dollars a year, provides the stability that has funded 49 consecutive years of dividend increases. But the same model that delivers the rent can slow things down when the value message needs to move in lock-step.
The same week, Restaurant Brands International reported that U.S. same-store sales at Burger King jumped 8.5%, its second straight quarter of accelerating growth. In Q2, Burger King beat the U.S. burger industry by more than nine points. Four years into a rebuild of its restaurants and operations, Burger King is winning back traffic with a better Whopper.
Today's Change
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For McDonald's, it'll take time to get the value message aligned, but the company's rent stream amply covers the 2.7% dividend yield. Investors should watch for guest counts in the U.S. to turn positive and for details on its strategy at the company's Investor Day on Sept. 23.
At roughly 20.5 times forward earnings, the stock trades below its five-year average, offering a reasonable price for patient investors.
Qualcomm posiluje v chytrých telefonech díky platformám Snapdragon a rostoucí poptávce po AI funkcích, jako je překlad a vylepšení obrazu. Firma těží i ze silných vztahů se Samsungem.
Key Takeaways QCOM is strengthening its smartphone position with advanced Snapdragon mobile platforms.Rising demand for AI-enabled smartphones is boosting Snapdragon features like translation & image enhancement.Qualcomm benefits from strong relationships with major smartphone makers like Samsung. Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM - Free Report) is strengthening its position in the global smartphone market through its Snapdragon mobile platforms, which combine high-performance computing, advanced graphics, artificial Intelligence (AI) and 5G technology. The company is leveraging its expertise in wireless technology and power-efficient chip design for premium and mainstream smartphones.
Qualcomm’s latest flagship, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, features its custom Oryon CPU architecture, Adreno GPU and Hexagon NPU, delivering faster performance and improved power efficiency for gaming, photography and productivity. The company is expanding its portfolio with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5, offering better processing performance, camera features and battery life for mid-range and entry-level devices.
The company is gaining from rising demand for AI-enabled smartphones, with Snapdragon supporting features such as translation, image enhancement and voice processing directly on devices. In addition, Qualcomm benefits from strong relationships with major smartphone makers such as Samsung.
Qualcomm’s combination of advanced processors, wireless technology and strong relationships with smartphone manufacturers positions it well to capitalize on the growth of next-generation smartphones.
How Are Competitors Advancing in the Mobile Chip Market?Qualcomm faces competition from Apple, Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) and Broadcom, Inc. (AVGO - Free Report) . Apple is strengthening its mobile chip business through its in-house A-series processors, which deliver strong performance and power efficiency. The chips are closely integrated with the iPhone Operating System, enabling the company to optimize hardware and software together. Apple’s custom silicon reduces its reliance on external chip suppliers and supports greater control over its product development.
Broadcom supplies wireless connectivity and semiconductor components used in smartphones, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and RF solutions. Its chips help smartphone manufacturers improve wireless performance, connectivity and power efficiency across mobile devices. Broadcom’s strong relationships with leading smartphone makers support its position in the mobile semiconductor market.
QCOM’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesQualcomm shares have gained 3.8% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 62.1%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company's shares currently trade at 15.96 forward earnings, higher than 14.77 for the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings estimates for fiscal 2026 have declined 1.6% to $10.57 over the past 60 days, while those for fiscal 2027 have decreased 6.2% to $10.11.
AMG National Trust Bank purchased a new stake in Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 42,697 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,077,000.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CVX. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Chevron during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,727,586,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Chevron during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,378,114,000. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Chevron by 9.1% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 152,605,988 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $23,698,184,000 after purchasing an additional 12,789,399 shares in the last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc lifted its stake in Chevron by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 130,156,362 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $19,837,131,000 after buying an additional 8,091,570 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in Chevron by 822.0% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,211,258 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $946,658,000 after purchasing an additional 5,537,580 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.42% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have weighed in on CVX. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $216.00 price target on shares of Chevron in a report on Friday, July 10th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Chevron in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Chevron from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $210.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Mizuho set a $224.00 price target on shares of Chevron in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Chevron from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Chevron currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $207.13.
Get Our Latest Report on Chevron Chevron News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week:
Positive Sentiment: Major Angola discovery expands Chevron’s resource base. Chevron’s 105-4X exploration well in offshore Angola’s Block 0 encountered a hydrocarbon column exceeding 600 meters (about 2,000 feet), including more than 90 meters of net pay in the primary Pinda reservoir. The size of the find strengthens the company’s long-term production outlook and supports its strategic exploration program in Sub-Saharan Africa. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Potential tie-in could reduce development costs. The discovery is located near existing Block 0 infrastructure, creating the possibility of a relatively efficient tie-back and potentially accelerating development while limiting capital requirements. However, commerciality, appraisal work and a development timeline have not yet been established. Chevron Stock Rises After Major Angola Discovery Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices provide additional sector support. Reports that Brent crude was approaching $89 a barrel amid continued disruption and uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz are supportive of Chevron’s upstream revenue and cash-flow prospects, although the geopolitical situation also raises market and operating risks. Brent Crude Nears $89 Neutral Sentiment: Income appeal remains part of the investment case. Chevron continues to be highlighted by analysts as a dividend-paying energy major with potential upside, but the dividend coverage and valuation were not materially changed by these reports. Dividend Stocks Article Insider Activity at Chevron In related news, CEO Michael K. Wirth sold 5,547 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.00, for a total value of $1,037,289.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 26,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,919,596. The trade was a 17.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director John B. Hess sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.26, for a total value of $19,426,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 178,045 shares in the company, valued at $34,587,021.70. This represents a 35.97% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 1,196,212 shares of company stock valued at $231,819,366. 0.56% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Chevron Price Performance NYSE CVX opened at $202.75 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $183.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $187.25. Chevron Corporation has a 52 week low of $146.49 and a 52 week high of $214.71. The stock has a market cap of $400.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.
Chevron (NYSE:CVX – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The oil and gas company reported $6.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.55 by $0.51. Chevron had a return on equity of 11.09% and a net margin of 9.57%.The business had revenue of $67.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $62.72 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.77 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 57.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Chevron Corporation will post 15.86 EPS for the current year.
Chevron Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be issued a dividend of $1.78 per share. This represents a $7.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 19th. Chevron’s payout ratio is currently 68.26%.
Chevron Company Profile (Free Report)
Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevron’s core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide.
Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Chevron Commodities Are Booming, But These 3 ETFs Tell Different Stories 3 Active ETFs Making Big Moves in August This ETF Is Outperforming by Avoiding the S&P 500’s Biggest Problem Birkenstock Beats the Skeptics—But Not on EPS Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CVX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX – Free Report).
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Equinor koupí 17,4% podíl v průzkumné licenci PEL 90 u pobřeží Namibie od dceřiné společnosti Chevron. Tím vstupuje na namibijský trh a získává přístup k vrtu plánovanému k testovacímu vrtání v roce 2026.
Equinor's logo is seen next to the company's headquarters in Stavanger, Norway December 5, 2019. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
CompaniesOSLO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Norway's Equinor (EQNR.OL), opens new tab said on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with a Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab subsidiary to acquire a 17.4% stake in a petroleum exploration licence (PEL 90) in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia.
"The transaction marks Equinor's entry into Namibia and the licence provides access to a drill-ready prospect scheduled for testing in 2026," the company said in a statement.
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Equinor did not disclose the value of the transaction but said the deal aligns with a strategy to strengthen and replenish its international portfolio.
Prior to the transaction, Chevron subsidiary Harmattan Energy owned an interest of 52.5% in PEL 90, with the other partners in the licence being QatarEnergy with 27.5%, Trago Energy with 10% and state-owned oil company NAMCOR with 10%.
Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Anna Ringstrom
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Phillips 66 čeká, že projekt Western Gateway od roku 2029 podpoří peněžní tok díky desetiletým take-or-pay kontraktům. Trasa dlouhá 1 300 mil má kapacitu zvýšit přepravu z 230 000 na 320 000 barelů denně.
Key Takeaways Western Gateway, spanning 1,300 miles, may expand daily capacity from 230,000 barrels to 320,000 barrels. Western Gateway is expected to improve Phillips 66's market access, logistics flexibility & product placement.The 10-year take-or-pay contracts should support PSX's cash flow when Western Gateway enters service in 2029. Phillips 66 (PSX - Free Report) is using its midstream business to build a more stable cash-flow base, alongside its refining operations. In the second quarter of 2026, Midstream adjusted EBITDA increased to $1.05 billion from $860 million in the first quarter, supported by record natural gas liquids fractionation and liquefied petroleum gas export volumes. Management expects the Midstream segment, along with the Marketing and Specialties segments, to provide consistent cash generation and targets a $4.5-billion Midstream adjusted EBITDA run rate by the end of 2027.
Western Gateway is likely to enhance PSX’s cash-flow potential, supported by its 49.9% ownership stake and $2.5 billion investment. The planned 1,300-mile refined-products system will initially have capacity of 230,000 barrels per day, with potential expansion to 320,000 barrels per day. Primarily 10-year take-or-pay contracts should support long-term cash generation once the project enters service in 2029. Its ability to expand capacity with limited additional capital and without new pipe could allow PSX to benefit from rising demand while limiting incremental investment.
Western Gateway is poised to strengthen Phillips 66’s refining business by connecting its Central Corridor and Gulf Coast refining assets with its West Coast and Southwest marketing network. This additional outlet will improve market access, logistics flexibility and product placement while supporting refinery throughput and regional margins. Thus, Western Gateway is expected to generate direct midstream returns while creating indirect benefits for PSX’s refining operations.
MPC & DINO Have Similar Advantages As PSXMarathon Petroleum (MPC - Free Report) and HF Sinclair (DINO - Free Report) stand out as peers with midstream operations that support their refining businesses through stronger logistics and market access.
Marathon Petroleum conducts its midstream business primarily through its majority ownership interest in MPLX, whose pipelines, terminals, storage and marine assets are integrated with MPC’s refining system. MPLX’s infrastructure moves crude and refined products and provides logistics flexibility, helping MPC optimize refinery feedstocks, product placement and access to higher-value markets. In second-quarter 2026, MPC’s Midstream adjusted EBITDA increased to $1.8 billion from $1.6 billion a year earlier, demonstrating the growing contribution of the business to MPC’s cash-generation profile.
HF Sinclair has an integrated midstream network that supports its refining and marketing operations across the Mid-Continent, Southwest and Northwest regions. DINO’s crude and petroleum-product pipelines, terminals and storage facilities provide logistics flexibility and help move refinery output to attractive markets. DINO is pursuing its Go-West pipeline initiative, which is expected to increase access to western markets and strengthen the connection between its refining assets and growing fuel demand.
PSX’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesPhillips 66 shares have surged 95.9% over the past year compared with the industry’s 83.9% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, PSX trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 10.82X. This is above the broader industry average of 5.55X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PSX's third-quarter 2026 earnings has seen downward revisions over the past seven days. Meanwhile, estimates for fourth-quarter and 2026 earnings have seen upward revisions.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PSX currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Baidu zveřejnila výsledky za 2. čtvrtletí 2026 a uspořádala konferenční hovor k výsledkům hospodaření. Vedení představilo čtvrtletní výhled a odpovídalo na dotazy analytiků.
Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) Q2 2026 Earnings Call August 18, 2026 8:00 AM EDT
Company Participants
Juan Lin - Director of Investor Relations
Yanhong Li - Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO
Haijian He - Chief Financial Officer
Dou Shen - Executive VP & President of Baidu AI Cloud Group
Rong Luo - Executive Vice President of Baidu Mobile Ecosystem Group
Conference Call Participants
Alex Yao - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Alicis a Yap - Citigroup Inc., Research Division
Xiaomeng Zhuang - BofA Securities, Research Division
Lincoln Kong - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Wei Xiong - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Thomas Chong - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Ellie Jiang - Macquarie Research
Presentation
Operator
Hello and thank you for standing by for Baidu's Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Today's conference is being recorded.
[Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the meeting over to your host for today's conference, Juan Lin, Baidu's Director of Investor Relations.
Juan Lin
Director of Investor Relations
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Baidu's Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. Baidu's earnings release was distributed earlier today, and you can find a copy on our website as well as on Newswire services.
On the call today, we have Robin Li, our Co-Founder and CEO; Julius Rong Luo, our EVP in charge of Baidu Mobile Ecosystem Group, MEG; Dou Shen, our EVP in charge of Baidu AI Cloud Group, ACG; and Henry Haijian He, our CFO. After our prepared remarks, we will hold a Q&A session.
Please note that the discussion today will contain forward-looking statements made under the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. For detailed discussions of these risks and uncertainties, please refer to
Key Takeaways Deere's Q3 earnings are expected to rise 0.8%, with revenues projected to increase 4.1% y/y.Deere faces weak farmer spending, low commodity prices and high production expenses heading into Q3.The Construction & Forestry segment is projected to deliver 16.9% sales growth and higher operating profit. Deere & Company (DE - Free Report) is scheduled to report third-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 20 before the opening bell.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Deere’s earnings has moved north over the past 60 days to $4.79 per share. The consensus mark implies a 0.8% rise from the year-ago actual. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $10.78 billion, indicating a 4.1% year-over-year increase.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
DE’s Earnings Surprise HistoryDeere’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in one, the average surprise being 10.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
What the Zacks Model Predicts for DeereOur model does not predict an earnings beat for DE this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. That is not the case here.
Earnings ESP: The Earnings ESP for Deere is -1.14%. You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: Deere currently has a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Factors Likely to Have Shaped DE’s Q3 PerformanceDeere has been facing challenges due to weak farmer spending amid low commodity prices. In the wake of challenging conditions in the global agricultural and construction sectors, DE has been aligning its production with demand levels.
This is likely to have weighed on the company’s fiscal third-quarter performance. High production expenses are also expected to have impacted the company’s margin in the quarter.
Nevertheless, favorable price realization is expected to have negated some of these headwinds, as seen in the fiscal second quarter.
Projections for Deere’s Segments in Q3The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the Production & Precision Agriculture segment’s revenues is pegged at $3.94 billion for the fiscal third quarter, suggesting a year-over-year decrease of 7.9%. Gains from price realization are likely to have been offset by escalated production expenses and lower shipment volumes. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the segment’s operating profit is pegged at $491 million, indicating a 15.3% decrease from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.
The consensus estimate for the Small Agriculture & Turf segment’s revenues is pegged at $3.39 billion for the fiscal third quarter, implying a 12% increase from the prior-year quarter’s actual. The segment’s operating profit is estimated at $495 million, suggesting 2% year-over-year growth.
The Construction & Forestry segment’s sales are pegged at $3.57 billion for the fiscal third quarter, implying a 16.9% rise from the prior-year quarter’s reported number. The segment’s operating profit is pegged at $424 million, whereas it reported $237 million in the prior year.
The estimate for the Financial Services segment’s revenues is pegged at $1.61 billion for the fiscal third quarter, indicating a 4.1% rise from the year-ago quarter’s actual. The projection for the segment’s operating profit is $271 million. The segment reported operating profit of $266 million in the prior-year quarter.
DE Stock’s Price PerformanceShares of the company have gained 23.7% in the past year compared with the industry’s 19.5% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
A Look at Deere’s Peer PerformancesLindsay Corporation (LNN - Free Report) reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings of $1.53 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.41 by 8.5%. The bottom line declined 14% year over year.
Lindsay’s sales totaled $160.8 million, down 5% year over year. The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $169 million by 5.15%. Irrigation softness outweighed infrastructure growth. The quarter reflected persistent demand challenges in North America and Brazil.
CNH Industrial N.V. (CNH - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of 13 cents, which declined from 17 cents in the prior-year quarter. The figure, however, surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 11 cents.
In the second quarter, CNH Industrial’s net sales grew 2% from the year-ago level to $4.80 billion and topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.76 billion.
AGCO Corp. (AGCO - Free Report) delivered adjusted earnings per share of $1.43 in second-quarter 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.54 by 7.14%. AGCO Corp posted adjusted EPS of $1.35 in the year-ago quarter.
Net sales declined 1% year over year to $2.61 billion and missed the consensus estimate of $2.73 billion. Excluding the favorable currency-translation impacts of 2.7%, net sales fell 3.7% year over year.
Oracle vykázala RPO ve výši 638 miliard USD, meziročně o 363 % více, a cloudové tržby vzrostly o 93 % na 5,8 miliardy USD. Firma zároveň zvýšila výhled non-GAAP EPS pro fiskální rok 2027 na 8,05 USD.
Key Takeaways Oracle's AI-driven RPO reached $638 billion, up 363% year over year, underpinning its growth case.Cloud infrastructure revenues surged 93% to $5.8 billion, while Multicloud AI Database grew 404%.Oracle raised fiscal 2027 EPS guidance to $8.05 while outlining roughly $40 billion in planned financing. Oracle Corporation (ORCL - Free Report) has turned itself into one of the most talked-about names in enterprise technology, largely because of the scale of its bet on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The company is spending tens of billions of dollars building out AI data centers, funded partly through debt and equity issuance, and that capital intensity has made some investors nervous about the near-term path of free cash flow.
Yet a closer look at Oracle's underlying business, its rapidly expanding AI partnerships and its own forward-looking guidance suggests the near-term setup still favors buyers who can stomach the balance-sheet risk tied to this build-out, rather than investors waiting for full clarity before committing capital.
Shares of Oracle have lost 8.9% in the past six-month period, underperforming the Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s appreciation of 21.7%, a gap that reflects investor caution around Oracle's debt-funded capital spending rather than any slowdown in its underlying AI business.
ORCL Underperforms Sector in 6 Months
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AI-Driven Cloud Backlog Underpins the Growth CaseThe clearest fundamental signal comes from Oracle's Remaining Performance Obligations, which reached $638 billion at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, up 363% year over year and $85 billion sequentially. Most of that increase reflects large-scale AI contracts, and importantly, the prepaid and customer-supplied hardware portions of these agreements now total $75 billion, which meaningfully reduces the amount of capital Oracle itself must raise to build its AI data centers going forward. Cloud infrastructure revenues surged 93% in the quarter to $5.8 billion, while the Oracle Multicloud AI Database grew 404%, making it the company's fastest-growing business ever. These figures point to underlying demand that is outrunning Oracle's aggressive capacity additions, a dynamic that should keep utilization and eventually margins moving in the right direction as newly built megawatts of data center capacity come online through fiscal 2027.
Fresh AI Partnerships Signal Expanding ReachOracle's own news updates from July and August 2026 show a company widening its AI footprint on multiple fronts. In July, Oracle rolled out OCI Enterprise AI for OCI Dedicated Cloud, letting customers run production AI within strict data residency, sovereignty and governance boundaries, alongside expanded model choice through additions like GLM 5.2. In August, Oracle announced a multi-year partnership with Quantinuum to bring hybrid quantum computing to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure for AI, drug discovery and materials-science workloads, and OCI became one of the first cloud providers to offer NVIDIA's Nemotron 3.5 Lightning model on day zero. Oracle also deepened its Google Cloud partnership by connecting Gemini Enterprise directly to Oracle AI Database, giving joint customers real-time access to business data and opened registration for Oracle AI World 2026, underscoring continued platform momentum heading into fiscal 2027.
Fiscal 2027 Guidance Reinforces the Near-Term Bull CaseOracle's own guidance gives investors concrete, company-sourced reasons to look past the debt load. For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, Oracle guided to total revenue growth of 27% to 29% and cloud revenue growth of 58% to 64% in U.S. dollars, with non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.72 to $1.76.
For the full fiscal year, Oracle confirmed its prior $90 billion total revenue target and raised its non-GAAP EPS guidance to $8.05, representing 18% growth after adjusting for one-time investment gains booked in fiscal 2026.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 earnings is pegged at $8.03, suggesting 5.24% growth year over year.
Management also indicated it does not expect to issue additional debt in 2026, having already outlined roughly $40 billion of planned debt and equity financing for fiscal 2027, including a previously announced $20 billion equity issuance, alongside a maintained quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share payable to shareholders of record. That combination of confirmed revenue targets, raised earnings guidance and a clearly defined financing plan gives the AI data center buildout a considerably clearer runway than headline capital-spending figures alone suggest, easing the financing overhang that has weighed on sentiment.
Valuation and Competitive LandscapeFrom a valuation standpoint, ORCL stock is currently trading at a trailing 12-month Price/Earnings ratio of 23.02x, which is higher than the sector average of 0.99x. The stock carries a Value Score of C, signaling that shares are priced richly against peers rather than at a bargain.
ORCL’s Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Oracle competes with Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) , Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) and Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) in cloud and AI infrastructure, and all three continue pouring capital into rival data centers. Microsoft's Azure, Amazon's AWS and Alphabet's Google Cloud remain the scale benchmarks Oracle must keep outgrowing. Despite that premium valuation and the recent share-price pullback, ORCL's outsized RPO growth relative to Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet gives investors a fundamentals-based reason to buy into weakness rather than wait for a cheaper entry point.
ConclusionOracle's debt-funded AI data center expansion carries genuine execution and financing risk, but the company's record backlog, widening AI partnerships and confirmed fiscal 2027 guidance collectively outline a credible path to accelerating growth. For investors comfortable with near-term balance-sheet pressure, Oracle's own fundamentals argue for building a position now rather than waiting on the sidelines for confirmation. ORCL stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Campbell’s zrychluje inovace v segmentu Meals & Beverages, v létě uvede Condensed Sauces a rozšiřuje produktové portfolio polévek. Produkty zaměřené na vaření vzrostly za dosavadní fiskální rok o 3,4 % a ve 3. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 o 1,5 %.
Key Takeaways Campbell's is expanding Meals & Beverages innovation with Condensed Sauces and new soup ideas.Cooking-focused soup products grew 3.4% fiscal year to date and 1.5% in fiscal Q3 2026.Rao's Q3 consumption rose 15%, while Goldfish and Pepperidge Farm added targeted snack launches. The Campbell's Company (CPB - Free Report) is putting greater emphasis on product innovation across key parts of its portfolio. The push is especially visible in Meals & Beverages, where upcoming launches are tied to at-home cooking and flavor exploration. The company is also increasing investment in consumer insights to support elevated brand investment and a bolder pipeline of innovation.
One of the clearest upcoming launches is Campbell’s Condensed Sauces, scheduled for the summer. The product is designed to tap consumers’ interest in cooking at home and experimenting with new flavors. Beyond this launch, Campbell’s has outlined a broader soup innovation pipeline focused on bringing newness, health benefits and additional eating occasions to the category.
The existing cooking-oriented portfolio provides a base for this strategy. Products used in scratch or semi-scratch cooking across Campbell’s, Swanson and Pacific represent roughly half of the U.S. retail soup portfolio. This group grew approximately 3.4% fiscal year to date and 1.5% in the third quarter of fiscal 2026.
Innovation is also visible across premium brands. Rao’s total brand consumption increased 15% in the fiscal third quarter, while sauce rose 13%, benefiting from fundamentals that included innovation from its Creamy line. Products outside pasta sauce consumption grew 22% in the fiscal second quarter, while Campbell’s plans to continue investing in Rao’s pasta, soup and frozen offerings. Pacific and Rao’s ready-to-serve soups also posted consumption growth of 7% and 8%, respectively.
In Snacks, Goldfish recently launched a Pokemon collaboration aimed at families with kids. Pepperidge Farm introduced limited-edition Maggie’s Apple Pie cookies, while Chessmen benefited from innovation and merchandising support. Together, these launches reflect Campbell’s focus on using targeted product innovation to create fresh consumer interest and support established snack brands.
Campbell's Zacks Rank & Share Price PerformanceShares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have gained 2.6% over the past month, underperforming the industry and the S&P 500’s growth of 5.4% and 4.1%, respectively. However, CPB outperformed the broader Consumer Staples sector’s growth of 0.3% over the same period.
CPB Stock's Past Month Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Is Campbell's a Value Play Stock?Campbell's currently trades at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 11.28, which is lower than the industry average of 15.23 and below the sector average of 17.13. This valuation positions the stock at a modest discount relative to both its direct peers and the broader consumer staples sector.
CPB P/E Ratio (Forward 12 Months)
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Stocks to ConsiderDarling Ingredients Inc. (DAR - Free Report) develops, produces and sells sustainable natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients in North America, Europe, China, South America and internationally. At present, Darling Ingredients sports a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The consensus estimate for Darling Ingredients’ current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 12.8% and 926.5%, respectively, from the year-ago figures. DAR delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 38.9%, on average.
The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (CHEF - Free Report) distributes specialty food and center-of-the-plate products in the United States, the Middle East and Canada. At present, CHEF flaunts a Zacks Rank #1. Chefs' Warehouse delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 30.4%, on average.
The consensus estimate for Chefs' Warehouse’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 10.6% and 24.7%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures.
US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD - Free Report) engages in the marketing, sale and distribution of fresh, frozen and dry food and non-food products to foodservice customers in the United States. USFD currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). US Foods Holding delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.5%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for US Foods Holding’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 5.3% and 16.3%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.
Enbridge ve 2. čtvrtletí vykázala upravený EPS CA$0,63, meziročně o 3 % níže, ale DCF vzrostl o 35,2 % na CA$2,9 miliardy. Firma zároveň zvýšila čtvrtletní dividendu o 3 % na CA$0,97 na akcii.
Shares of Enbridge (ENB +1.53%) are down about 7% over the past month, after the midstream company reported disappointing second-quarter earnings. While there were some causes for alarm in the report, most notably its debt level, the Canadian utility infrastructure company remains a favorite among income investors.
Enbridge has more than 18,000 miles of crude pipeline and more than 19,373 miles of natural gas pipelines. It transports roughly 30% of the crude oil produced in North America and delivers nearly 20% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. It is also involved in renewable energy, with solar and wind power operations.
I've owned the stock for more than two years, and it has delivered a total return of more than 67% in that time. I'm not jumping ship any time soon. Here are three reasons why I'm holding onto this utility stock.
Image source: Getty Images.
It's all about the dividend At its current share price, Enbridge's dividend yield stands at around 5.47%, more than five times the average S&P 500 dividend. The company raised its quarterly dividend by 3% this year to $0.97 per share, marking the 31st consecutive year of dividend increases.
Enbridge is the largest natural gas utility by volume in North America. As a result, 98% of its cash flow is bolstered by long-term, rate-regulated contracts with built-in inflation adjustments. The company has said it intends to maintain a distributable cash flow (DCF) payout range of 60% to 70% to keep the dividend safe.
Not all of the quarterly report was bad news The company reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of CA$0.63, down 3% year over year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) were up only 2% over the same period last year, to CA$4.77 billion. Thanks to expenditures for new projects, the company's debt-to-EBITDA level is around 6.328, the highest it has been in three years.
While that level of debt could weigh on earnings for a while, it's important to recognize that the additional spending will pay off, and Enbridge's new energy infrastructure projects should lead to long-term revenue growth.
The good news is Enbridge continues to grow its DCF -- it rose 35.2% year over year to CA$2.9 billion in the second quarter. That means the company's dividend is well covered, giving investors reason to breathe easy as they wait for the new projects to start paying off.
The company also predicts that its yearly DCF will increase to CA$5.70-CA$6.10, up 3.5% at the midpoint, and that yearly adjusted EBITDA will be between CA$20.2 billion and CA$20.8 billion, up 4% at the midpoint.
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Industry tailwinds should benefit the stock The company is focusing on expanding its business. That includes its 2023 purchase of natural gas utilities from Dominion Energy (D +0.40%) and its ongoing pipeline expansions, including the Sunrise Expansion in the Pacific Northwest and the expansion of its 348-mile Vector Pipeline that runs from Eastern Canada to key energy needs in the U.S. Midwest.
On the data center front, Enbridge is actively exploring more than 50 power utility deals to connect natural gas infrastructure to regional power grids and data centers. Enbridge is spending money to make money in the future, and while additional loan payments may wear on its earnings for now, the completed projects should help deliver increased revenue for decades.
Realty Income rozšiřuje svou strategii do datových center a prostřednictvím Cloud Capital chce investovat až 1,4 miliardy USD za 45% podíl na počátečním tříaktivovém portfoliu v Severní Virginii. Projekt má dlouhodobé 15–20leté triple-net nájemní smlouvy s bonitními hyperscale nájemci.
Key Takeaways Realty Income expands its data center strategy to broaden growth beyond traditional net-lease real estate.The strategy could support future hyperscale data-center investments across the U.S. and Europe.Long leases and investment-grade tenants provide predictable cash flows and broaden Realty Income's market. Realty Income’s (O - Free Report) push into data centers is beginning to take on greater strategic importance as the company looks to broaden its growth avenues beyond traditional net-lease real estate. A key component of that strategy is its existing partnership with Cloud Capital, under which Realty Income expects to invest up to $1.4 billion for a 45% stake in an initial three-asset Northern Virginia portfolio valued at more than $6 billion. The assets have less than 400 MW of capacity, are fully leased or pre-leased, and carry 15-20-year triple-net leases with investment-grade hyperscale tenants.
The partnership is designed to be more than a one-time transaction. Realty Income describes it as a programmatic platform that could support future hyperscale data center investments across the United States and Europe.
The Cloud Capital venture also builds on Realty Income’s existing data center relationship with Digital Realty. The company invested about $200 million in a build-to-suit data center joint venture in 2023 and held an 80% interest in two properties as of June 30, 2026.
The strategy gives Realty Income access to a global data center market estimated at more than $1 trillion in real estate value. For Realty Income, this could diversify its heavily retail-focused portfolio, broaden its addressable market and create a scalable source of long-term growth. The long-term leases and investment-grade tenants could also support predictable cash flows, while the partnership provides an avenue to deploy capital across the United States and Europe.
How Are Realty Income's Peers Adopting Data Center Strategy?Prologis (PLD - Free Report) is aggressively expanding beyond logistics into data centers. In second-quarter 2026, its data center power pipeline expanded to 5.8 GW. Prologis started $1.6 billion of development across logistics and data centers, highlighting its focus on leveraging its global land bank and infrastructure to capture growing demand for AI and digital infrastructure.
Iron Mountain (IRM - Free Report) has already made data centers a meaningful growth business. In second-quarter 2026, it signed 13 MW of data center leases, taking year-to-date leasing to 110 MW, including 75 MW signed in July. Data center, digital and ALM businesses collectively grew over 50% year over year.
Realty Income’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Realty Income have risen 0.5% over the past three months, underperforming the broader industry and the S&P 500 Index.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
In terms of forward 12-month Price/Earnings (P/E), Realty Income is currently trading at 13.72X, which is at a discount to the industry average of 17.1X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Realty Income’s estimate revisions reflect a positive trend. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 EPS has been revised marginally upward over the past two months. The consensus estimate calls for 4% growth year over year.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, Realty Income carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Michael Burry znovu shortuje Palantir Technologies a koupil out-of-the-money put opce na PLTR s expirací v březnu 2027. Akcie jsou za posledních 30 dní zhruba o 30 % výše.
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Michael Burry is at it again. The investor who became legendary as “The Big Short” is doubling down on his bearish position in Palantir Technologies NASDAQ: PLTR. In his Substack newsletter, Cassandra Unchained, Burry announced his purchase of out-of-the-money put options on PLTR stock expiring in March 2027. The contracts reportedly have a strike price in the low- to mid-$100 range.
If Burry’s bearish bet is right, PLTR would dip down to the levels it was at in late June. On the one hand, it’s easy to see why Burry would short PLTR. The stock is up about 30% in the last 30 days. Most of that gain came after the company’s Q2 earnings report, which was stellar by nearly every measure.
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Revenue grew 93% year-over-year to $1.94 billion, U.S. commercial revenue jumped 149% to $764 million, and the company closed 220 deals worth at least $1 million. Adjusted free cash flow came in at $1.22 billion, a 63% margin, with $9.2 billion in cash and no debt on the balance sheet.
It’s Really More of the Same From BurryIn the interest of accuracy, this isn’t a new trade for Burry. Essentially, Burry is rebuilding his earlier bearish bet, one that he partially covered when PLTR hit $107 in June. In this case, Burry is taking advantage of cheaper premiums to take a second bite at the apple.
The question is why. Burry doesn’t offer a new rationale, so it’s a continuation of two major themes:
Valuation – Burry has likened Palantir’s current valuation to a “sandcastle.” He estimates that PLTR is trading 16x above its intrinsic value and has said the stock will be worth under $1 in the long run. Hyperbole aside, by conventional metrics, Palantir is expensive.
Accounting Concerns – Ever since Palantir went public via a direct listing in 2020, many investors have been concerned about the company’s heavy reliance on stock-based compensation. Burry believes that the company is underreporting the level of that compensation, which he puts at approximately $5 billion in the past year.
Breaking Down Burry's BetThe valuation question is not new and will continue to be an issue for some investors until it’s not. Analysts have been raising their price targets for PLTR, which now has a consensus price target of $192.19.
Stock-based compensation is a trickier issue. Burry's argument hinges on real accounting mechanics. Using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), stock-based compensation is expensed at its grant-date fair value, then spread over the vesting period. This is regardless of what the stock is worth by the time those shares actually land in an employee's account.
If Palantir granted restricted stock units (RSUs) when shares traded in the $30s or $40s, the income statement only ever reflects that original, pre-rally value. The market value of the shares, once they vest and are issued, can be much higher. That gap is real, and it's the source of Burry’s "underreporting" claim.
But is the pace of that compensation actually accelerating? Quarterly GAAP stock-based compensation expense has climbed in five straight quarters: roughly $155 million in Q1 2025, up to $265 million in Q2 2026, including a 32% sequential jump in the most recent quarter.
That said, annual comparisons are muddier, complicated by a one-time acceleration in 2024 tied to Market-Vesting Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) that triggered once the stock closed above a $50 threshold. But the recent quarterly trend is unambiguous: the dollar cost of comp is rising and rising faster than in prior quarters.
None of this shows up as a cash cost, though. Stock-based compensation is a non-cash expense, added back on the cash flow statement, which is exactly why Palantir's free cash flow keeps climbing even as the comp bill grows.
The real cost to shareholders is dilution. Each vested RSU adds a new share to the count, and Palantir's diluted share count has grown to roughly 2.57 billion. Aggregate free cash flow rising doesn't tell you whether free cash flow per share is keeping pace, and per-share is what ultimately drives your return as an investor.
Why Palantir Is Still Worth OwningUltimately, the proof is in the performance. Palantir continues to deliver strong year-over-year growth in every important and measurable category. That includes a Rule of 40 score of 155%, up from 68% just two years ago. That trajectory outpaces every other top 100 company by market cap, including NVIDIA NASDAQ: NVDA.
Current Price$173.43High Forecast$255.00Average Forecast$192.19Low Forecast$80.00Palantir Technologies Stock Forecast Details
That's important to remember when thinking about Burry’s bearish bet. He isn't wrong that dilution is real, that GAAP comp expense understates the market value of what's being handed out, or that the stock is expensive on a price-to-sales basis.
But "expensive" and "overvalued" aren't the same claim, and a company growing revenue 93% while expanding margins and generating over a billion dollars in quarterly free cash flow is not the profile of a business running on accounting sleight of hand.
Burry's bet isn't crazy. It's a real, defensible read on dilution mechanics. It's also a bet that's been wrong for a while now, and the operating numbers keep making it harder to win.
At some point, institutional investors will come off the sidelines. That could mean upside for the stock’s ceiling, but it could also firm up the stock’s floor. That’s why a better strategy is to hold PLTR through any volatility and take any pullbacks as an opportunity to accumulate.
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Nvidia podle BofA testuje u Rubin Ultra nižší paměťové konfigurace 192 GB až 288 GB kvůli omezené nabídce HBM4e. To může krátkodobě snížit poptávku po HBM od Micron.
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The artificial-intelligence buildout is creating an unusual problem for semiconductor investors: demand is arriving faster than the supply chain can deliver the most advanced components. High-bandwidth memory, or HBM, is at the center of that squeeze because AI accelerators need enormous amounts of fast memory to keep their processors fed with data.
That has been a major tailwind for Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU | MU Price Prediction) and SK hynix (NASDAQ:SKHY), whose HBM businesses are expanding alongside AI infrastructure spending. Now, however, a new wrinkle has appeared: Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is reportedly testing lower-memory configurations for its next-generation Rubin Ultra accelerators. That has raised concerns about “despec” risk.
What Does Despec Mean For Micron? Despec simply means reducing the amount or performance of a component from its original specification.
For Micron shareholders, that matters because every AI accelerator equipped with less HBM represents fewer memory bits sold. If Nvidia moves Rubin Ultra from a planned 1 terabyte of HBM to configurations as low as 192GB, the potential hit to memory demand could be meaningful.
The concern is not theoretical. According to BofA Global Research note, Nvidia is evaluating Rubin Ultra configurations ranging from 192GB to 288GB because of HBM supply constraints and HBM4e qualification delays.
But there is an important catch: Less memory comes with a performance penalty.
Supply chains are buckling under the AI boom, forcing a high-stakes engineering compromise. See why Nvidia’s shift to lower-memory specs is putting Micron shareholders on high alert. The Numbers Point Toward A Bottleneck, Not A New Normal BofA’s analysis says performance falls sharply below 500GB, making a return to much higher memory capacities more likely as supply improves. Nvidia’s own July technical documentation shows its standard Rubin GPU already supports up to 288GB of HBM4 and 22 terabytes (TB) per second of memory bandwidth.
That makes the current despec look more like an engineering compromise than a change in what AI systems ultimately need.
Ironically, the broader HBM supply chain is moving in the opposite direction. BofA says upcoming HBM4e and HBM5 generations are already being designed around 12-high and 16-high stacks, supporting roughly 500GB to 1TB of memory per accelerator. In other words, the industry is building more memory capacity into future products at the same time Nvidia is testing lower-capacity Rubin Ultra configurations.
BofA also argues that roughly 1TB ultimately becomes a “must-have” for Rubin Ultra, particularly as physical AI workloads demand larger memory pools.
What This Means For Micron Investors Nvidia’s testing of 192GB and 288GB configurations could reduce HBM content per Rubin Ultra accelerator during the initial ramp. That could create a temporary volume headwind for Micron and SK hynix if constrained HBM4e availability forces Nvidia to ship lower-memory versions.
But the bigger trend remains intact: AI workloads are becoming more memory-intensive, not less. Nvidia says Vera Rubin is designed for agentic AI and massive long-context workloads, with the platform already ramping into production. Those workloads make memory capacity increasingly important, while physical AI adds another demand driver.
Granted, investors should watch Rubin Ultra’s final configuration closely. A prolonged shift toward lower-memory accelerators would change the HBM growth story.
Key Takeaway For Micron shareholders, “despec” risk is worth monitoring but doesn’t yet undermine the investment thesis. The 192 GB to 288 GB configurations appear tied to near-term HBM4e supply and qualification constraints, while performance deteriorates below 500GB and the industry is already moving toward 500GB-to-1TB accelerators.
In the end, that looks more like a temporary supply bottleneck than a collapse in HBM content. The momentum behind Micron and SK hynix remains intact as AI accelerators demand more memory, not less.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Intuitive Surgical spustila první vlnu více než 100 plánovaných softwarových aktualizací pro da Vinci 5. Tržby ze servisu ve 2. čtvrtletí vzrostly o 21 %.
Key Takeaways Intuitive Surgical rolled out the first phase of more than 100 planned da Vinci 5 software updates.My Intuitive renewals began in Q2, with no customers in the initial cohort opting out.Service revenues rose 21%, while revenue per da Vinci system increased 8%, partly due to da Vinci 5. Intuitive Surgical’s (ISRG - Free Report) software is increasingly becoming a core component of the da Vinci 5 value proposition, potentially extending the platform’s competitive moat beyond hardware. The company rolled out the first phase of more than 100 planned software updates during the second quarter, targeting telepresence, simulation-based training and Care Team workflow. Management also submitted multiple innovations for FDA 510(k) clearance, suggesting that the software roadmap is designed as an ongoing stream of capability enhancements rather than a one-time product launch.
The commercial significance is already evident in My Intuitive+, Intuitive Surgical’s integrated da Vinci 5 offering that combines telepresence, simulation, and AI-driven case insights. The company executed its first wave of My Intuitive+ renewals during the second quarter. Although the initial renewal cohort was small, no customer opted out, providing an early indication that customers see continuing value in the digital layer surrounding the robotic platform.
The roadmap also extends into practical workflow improvements. Three submitted features include tools designed to reduce communication between surgeons and care teams, improve multi-arm adjustments and introduce a digital ruler that allows surgeons to measure anatomy during procedures. Management said additional updates will focus on improving system efficiency and effectiveness, with further differentiated capabilities expected over the coming years.
This strategy could make da Vinci 5 increasingly difficult to evaluate purely as capital equipment. Continuous software enhancements can improve usability, efficiency and clinical capabilities after installation, encouraging customers to remain within the Intuitive ecosystem and supporting the company's broader recurring-revenue model. The second-quarter service revenues increased 21%, while service revenue per da Vinci system rose 8%, partly reflecting the higher mix of da Vinci 5 systems.
Peer UpdateFor competitors, the implication is significant — matching robotic hardware may not be enough. Intuitive Surgical is building a layered ecosystem spanning robotics, software, AI, training and workflow optimization. ISRG management believes these capabilities, supported by sustained R&D investment, can meaningfully differentiate its solutions and reduce total cost of care.
Stryker (SYK - Free Report) is also embedding digital capabilities into its Mako ecosystem to make robotic surgery more effective while creating a broader technology moat. Mako has evolved into a multispecialty platform spanning hip, knee, spine and shoulder, with more than 2.5 million procedures across 47 countries.
The company’s strategy increasingly links robotics with enabling technologies and procedural workflows, while the full commercial launch of Mako RPS adds a handheld option for surgeons and ASCs. Stryker is using clinical evidence and continuous product innovation to deepen adoption rather than relying solely on hardware placements. With record Mako installations and rising utilization, this integrated approach strengthens surgeon familiarity, builds procedural data advantages, and increases ecosystem stickiness, potentially making Mako harder for competitors to displace.
Zimmer Biomet (ZBH - Free Report) is building its robotic moat by combining ROSA with a broader technology-and-data ecosystem. The company delivered record capital sales in the second quarter, driven by ROSA with OptimiZe, TMINI and the next-generation ROSA Shoulder, while its Technology & Data, Bone Cement and Surgical category grew 21.5%.
Beyond robotics, Zimmer is integrating digital tools such as OrthoGrid, an AI-based navigation solution for direct anterior hip procedures that delivered its strongest quarter and is expected to accelerate. ROSA Shoulder further differentiates the platform through an improved interface and the ability to perform both anatomic and reverse procedures with humeral and glenoid resections. By combining robotics, AI navigation, data and differentiated workflows, Zimmer is building a broader technology ecosystem that can improve surgical precision while increasing customer engagement and competitive defensibility.
ISRG’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of ISRG have lost 31.1% so far this year compared with an 8.1% decline of the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Intuitive Surgical trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10.88X, above the industry average. But it is significantly lower than its five-year median of 15.78X. ISRG carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Intuitive Surgical’s 2026 earnings implies a 20.3% rise from the year-ago period’s level.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
AMC refinancovala dluh za 400 milionů USD splatný v roce 2027 a prodloužila jeho splatnost o čtyři roky. Roční hotovostní úrokové náklady by měly klesnout asi o 16 milionů USD.
Key Takeaways AMC refinanced $400 million of 2027 debt and extended its maturity by four years.AMC's actions are expected to cut annual cash interest expense by approximately $16 million.AMC has $778 million in cash and has reduced debt by $1.7 billion since the end of 2020. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC - Free Report) has made progress in reducing financial leverage through debt refinancing, repayments and equity-related actions. The company aims to bring leverage down to around 3x over time. Lower debt and borrowing costs could help improve financial flexibility as AMC works toward this goal.
During the second quarter, AMC refinanced $400 million of debt due in 2027, extending the maturity by four years. The company also converted approximately $155.8 million of exchangeable debt due in 2030 into equity. In addition, AMC completed a $150 million at-the-market equity offering, raising more than $85 million, followed by a $200 million registered direct equity offering. The company then moved to redeem $125.5 million of senior subordinated notes due in 2027.
These actions are expected to reduce AMC’s annual cash interest expense by approximately $16 million. The company also does not anticipate any material debt principal payments before 2029. Further savings could come from lower interest rates on approximately 75% of the debt as leverage improves, potentially reducing annual interest expense by another $51 million.
AMC ended the second quarter with $778 million of cash, excluding restricted cash, while debt has declined $1.7 billion since the end of 2020. The stronger balance sheet and lower borrowing costs should help reduce financial pressure. However, AMC still needs to make further progress from leverage below 6.5x to reach its 3x target.
AMC’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of AMC have surged 100% in the past six months compared with the industry’s 5% growth. In the same time frame, AMC has outperformed industry players like Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (CNK - Free Report) and The Marcus Corporation (MCS - Free Report) .
AMC’s Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, AMC trades at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 0.39, below the industry’s average of 2.9. Cinemark and Marcus have P/S ratios of 1.2 and 1.11, respectively.
AMC’s P/S Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMC’s 2026 loss per share indicates a 77.1% year-over-year improvement. Conversely, industry players like Cinemark and Marcus are likely to witness growth of 126.9% and 652.9%, respectively, year over year in 2026 earnings.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AMC’s Zacks RankAMC currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
MercadoLibre ve 2. čtvrtletí 2026 zvýšil GMV o 44 % na 21,9 miliardy USD a počet prodaných položek o 45 % na 795,4 milionu. Aktivní kupující vzrostli o 26 % na 89,3 milionu.
Key Takeaways MercadoLibre's Q2 GMV rose 44% to $21.9B, while items sold increased 45% to 795.4 million units.MercadoLibre's active buyers grew 26% to 89.3M, while Brazil's conversion rate rose 1.1 percentage points.MercadoLibre's ecosystemic users generated 70% more GMV per user than marketplace-only users. MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI - Free Report) achieved total Gross Merchandise Volume (“GMV”) of $21.9 billion in the second quarter of 2026. This performance represents a 44% year-over-year expansion in U.S. dollar terms and 36% growth on an FX-neutral basis. Consolidated items sold rose 45% year over year to reach 795.4 million units.
A principal driver behind this sustained volume strength is the deepening level of buyer engagement across core regional markets. Unique active buyers on the marketplace expanded 26% year over year to reach 89.3 million. Items sold per unique active buyer increased 14%, driven by a 19% gain in Brazil. This elevated activity stems from structural initiatives such as the lowered free-shipping threshold introduced in Brazil, which produced a step-change in conversion rates and improved long-term user retention. Brazil’s conversion rate increased 1.1 percentage points year over year.
Regional performance contributed significantly to overall volume expansion. On an FX-neutral basis, Brazil recorded 39% year-over-year GMV growth, while Mexico registered 26% growth. In Argentina, FX-neutral GMV expanded 38% despite broader macroeconomic consumption challenges. Cross-border trade GMV posted 60% FX-neutral growth, supported by expanded fulfillment capabilities in China.
The broader ecosystem structure also reinforces marketplace activity through synergistic usage. Ecosystemic users who utilize both the marketplace platform and Mercado Pago financial services generated 70% more GMV per user than marketplace-only users.
MercadoLibre is widening selection through domestic sellers and cross-border inventory while improving the shopping proposition. This helps explain why GMV growth remains a closely watched measure for investors even when consumer conditions differ across markets.
What the Latest Metrics Say About MercadoLibreMercadoLibre, which competes with Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) and Sea Limited (SE - Free Report) , has seen its shares gain 12.7% over the past three months compared with the industry’s 1.1% rise. While Amazon shares have declined 1.3%, Sea Limited has rallied 35.4% in the aforementioned period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MercadoLibre's forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 35.94, higher than the industry average of 22.21. The stock is also trading above its 12-month median level of 34.47.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MercadoLibre is trading at a premium to Amazon (forward 12-month P/E of 22.74) and Sea Limited (23.39).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MercadoLibre’s current financial-year sales implies year-over-year growth of 44.6%, while the consensus estimate for earnings suggests a decline of 0.7%. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 28.9% rise in sales and 43.3% growth in earnings.
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Charles Schwab v červenci zvýšil klientská aktiva o 19 % meziročně na 13,04 bilionu USD a čistý příliv nových aktiv dosáhl rekordních 58,1 miliardy USD. Denní průměr obchodů vyskočil o 61 % na 11,6 milionu.
Key Takeaways Schwab's client assets rose 19% y/y to $13.04T, with core net new assets hitting a July record of $58.1B.Advisory assets climbed 21.5% to $6.70T, while new brokerage accounts rose 11% y/y.Schwab's July 2026 DATs surged 61% y/y to 11.6M, supporting further trading-related revenue growth. Charles Schwab’s (SCHW - Free Report) client asset momentum remained strong in July 2026, reflecting robust asset gathering and sustained client engagement. Total client assets reached $13.04 trillion at month-end, up 19% year over year, while assets receiving ongoing advisory services increased 21.5% to $6.70 trillion. Core net new assets hit a July record of $58.1 billion, rising 24% year over year.
Schwab’s asset growth has been supported by a combination of organic asset inflows and its efforts to expand its client base. Inorganic expansion has also played an important role, with acquisitions contributing to the company’s client asset growth over the past several years. Schwab’s total client assets saw a 12.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the five years ended 2025, with the uptrend continuing through the first six months of 2026. Its focus on advisory solutions has also been bearing fruit, with managed investing solutions revenues witnessing an 11.1% CAGR during the same five years.
The rising asset base is particularly beneficial because it can support revenue growth even when Schwab reduces fees on certain investing solution products. A larger pool of average client assets helps offset fee compression and supports higher asset management and administration revenues.
At the same time, heightened market volatility and strong investor participation have been driving trading activity. Schwab reported a year-over-year increase in trading revenues in the first half of 2026, while July’s strong asset gathering and client engagement provide a favorable backdrop for further trading-related revenue growth. In July, Schwab’s Client Daily Average Trades (DATs) were 11.6 million, up 61% year over year.
Thus, continued organic asset gathering, favorable market conditions and Schwab’s inorganic expansion efforts should support further growth in client assets and strengthen its revenue-generating base. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SCHW’s 2026 and 2027 revenues is $28.29 billion and $31.70 billion, implying respective year-over-year growth of 18.3% and 12%, underscoring expectations for continued top-line momentum.
Additional Data From Schwab’s July ActivitySCHW’s average interest-earning assets at the end of July 2026 were $449.9 billion, which rose 8% from July 2025.
Margin balances at month end were $169.9 billion, up 92% from the year-ago month. Total money market funds were $695.3 billion, up 6%.
Schwab opened 417,000 new brokerage accounts in July 2026, up 11% from the year-earlier month.
The company’s active brokerage accounts totaled 39.9 million, up 6% year over year. Client banking accounts were 2.4 million, up 13% from July 2025. The number of workplace plan participant accounts was up 5% year over year to 5.9 million.
Schwab’s Competitive LandscapeSchwab’s two closest peers are Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD - Free Report) and Interactive Brokers (IBKR - Free Report) . Let us see how these two firms performed in July 2026.
Robinhood reported strong growth in equity and options DATs in July, underscoring continued momentum in its active-trader business. Equity DATs rose 29.7% year over year to 4.8 million, while options DATs surged 90.9% to 2.1 million. However, crypto DATs fell 45.4% to 0.6 million, highlighting the mixed trend across Robinhood’s trading businesses.
Likewise, Interactive Brokers reported daily average revenue trades of 4.4 million in July 2026, up 27% year over year, while customer accounts rose 34% to 5.32 million. IBKR continues to expand its product suite and global reach, including nearly 24/5 Forecast Contracts trading, a unified prediction markets interface and broader access to Korean equities.
SCHW’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimate AnalysisShares of Schwab have rallied 17.8% over the past six months compared with the industry’s rise of 16.4%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, SCHW trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 15.10, above the industry average.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Schwab’s 2026 and 2027 earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 32.7% and 21.1%, respectively. Over the past 30 days, earnings estimates for both years have been revised upward.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, Schwab carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Square rozšířil preferované partnerství s OpenTable, aby restauracím spojil rezervace, platby a data o hostech do jednoho přehledu. Cílem je lépe propojit rezervace s tržbami a zlepšit věrnost i marketing.
Square today announced an expanded, preferred partnership with OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech, bringing reservations, payments, and guest data together in one connected view. Restaurants have historically managed reservation and transaction data across separate systems, making it difficult to oversee the full customer journey. By building together, the integration further connects OpenTable’s powerful guest insights with Square’s transaction and operational data, giving operators a more complete understanding of their guests on Square software and hardware including Square Handheld. With this view, restaurant operators can link reservations to revenue and make more informed decisions about loyalty, marketing, and guest engagement.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260818790087/en/
Photo courtesy of Square and OpenTable
OpenTable helps operators understand who their guests are, from their booking behaviors, to dining preferences, and special occasion dates. Meanwhile, Square provides insight into what happens once guests arrive, including order details, spend, payment method, and repeat visits. Building on the companies’ point-of-sale partnership that began in 2022, this enhanced integration unlocks deeper insights sharing between the two platforms to address the restaurant pain point of disconnected systems.
“Reservations, payments, and guest data shouldn’t be different systems that restaurant operators have to stitch together themselves,” said James Schonzeit, Head of Food and Beverage at Square. “No one has time for that, and we’re not in the business of gatekeeping their most valuable insights. By providing a cohesive view of guest and transaction data, Square and OpenTable are removing the manual work of piecing together who a guest is, so operators can get valuable time back and spend it on the hospitality and craft that keeps their guests happy.”
One Unified View for Better Guest Recognition and Engagement
Across both the Square and OpenTable platforms, expanded capabilities that restaurants can now opt-into include the following:
View every guest more completely: Reservation history, dining preferences, and transaction data come together in a unified guest profile, helping restaurants recognize returning diners and deliver more personalized hospitality.Turn reservations into lasting guest relationships: Connect reservation and transaction data to power loyalty, personalized marketing, and more meaningful guest engagement.Measure the true value of every reservation: Link bookings to spend, repeat visits, and lifetime value, giving operators a deeper understanding of guest behavior and business performance.“Restaurants can do their best work when they have tech running behind the scenes that interacts seamlessly to deliver insights that power hospitality – that’s what this expanded partnership enables,” said Robin Chiang, Chief Growth Officer at OpenTable. “Square is a natural partner to support OpenTable’s mission of serving restaurants and we look forward to working together to deliver best-in-class guest insights, connectivity and security.”
“Square and OpenTable working closely together means our restaurant isn't guessing who's walking through the door,” said Justin Pichetrungsi, James Beard Award–winning chef and owner of Anajak Thai. “We might know their favorite dish, what they're celebrating, their preferences, and how regularly they visit. Our ability to cater to this only improves the hospitality our restaurant is known for. Both platforms have become essential to how we run our business, and now we're able to keep raising the bar on what our guests experience every time they book, sit down with us, order, and pay."
What's Next
Today’s announcement marks the next step in Square and OpenTable's shared vision to simplify restaurant operations and deliver a more connected guest experience. Future enhancements will focus on faster onboarding, smarter reservation workflows, richer guest intelligence across every ordering channel, and deeper integration of loyalty, customer engagement, and payment experiences.
The partnership serves restaurants across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Ireland, and France. To learn more, visit: squareup.com/us/en/ref/opentable
About Square
Square helps businesses turn transactions into connections and businesses into neighborhood favorites.
In 2009, Square started with a simple invention — the first mobile card reader, which changed how the entire financial system thinks about small businesses. Square has since grown into a global business platform helping millions of sellers of all sizes participate and thrive in their communities.
Whether independently run or a global chain, Square understands that sellers succeed when they have the freedom to focus on the experiences that keep customers coming back. From point of sale and payments to online commerce, staff management, cash flow tools, and more, Square brings together the tools sellers need to run and grow on one intelligent platform. For more information, visit squareup.com.
About OpenTable
OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), helps more than 70,000 restaurants worldwide fill 2 billion seats a year. OpenTable’s world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260818790087/en/
Lam Research získává na síle v segmentu DRAM, protože AI zvyšuje poptávku po HBM a nových paměťových technologiích. DRAM tvořila ve 4. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 23 % systémových tržeb.
Key Takeaways Lam Research is expanding its DRAM position as AI drives HBM and next-generation memory demand.DRAM was 23% of fiscal Q4 systems revenues, with revenues staying near Q3's record level.Akara's installed base doubled annually since launch, with LRCX expecting that trend to continue in 2027. Lam Research Corporation (LRCX - Free Report) is strengthening its position in the DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) market as artificial intelligence (AI) drives demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and next-generation memory technologies. The opportunity is becoming more important as memory makers invest in capacity additions and technology upgrades across 1-alpha, 1-beta and 1-gamma DRAM nodes, supporting DDR5, LPDDR5 and HBM.
DRAM accounted for 23% of Lam Research’s systems revenues in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 compared with 27% in the previous quarter. Although the share declined, DRAM revenues remained near the record level reached in the third quarter, showing that demand remains solid.
Lam Research is also expanding its technology footprint. Its VECTOR platform is gaining adoption for hard-mask deposition and diffusion-barrier applications, while Akara is winning advanced DRAM etch opportunities. These tools are designed for increasingly complex memory structures, giving LRCX more opportunities to capture spending as manufacturers move to newer nodes. During the last earnings call, management revealed that Akara’s installed base doubled annually since its launch and expects that growth trend to continue in 2027.
The broader financial picture also supports the growth case. Lam Research posted fourth-quarter revenues of $6.72 billion, up 15.1% sequentially, while non-GAAP operating margin expanded 340 basis points to 38.4%. The company now expects 2026 wafer fabrication equipment spending to reach the low-$150 billion range, up from its prior projection of $140 billion.
Overall, Lam Research’s expanding DRAM exposure could become an important growth driver, particularly if AI-related HBM demand continues to push memory makers toward more advanced manufacturing technologies. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 revenues is currently pegged at $34.48 billion, indicating a 48.4% year-over-year increase.
Applied Materials and KLA: Can They Challenge LRCX in DRAM?Lam Research faces strong competition in the growing DRAM equipment market, particularly from Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT - Free Report) and KLA Corporation (KLAC - Free Report) .
Applied Materials is a major rival across deposition and other process steps and is benefiting from rising HBM demand. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Applied Materials’ total revenues jumped 25% year over year to $9.12 billion, while its semiconductor systems segment’s revenues rose 27% to $7.04 billion.
Applied Materials’ DRAM segment accounted for 26% of semiconductor systems’ revenues during the third quarter. DRAM revenues jumped 52% year over year, mainly benefiting from increasing memory requirements of AI infrastructure.
KLA is another important competitor because its process-control tools help memory manufacturers improve yields as DRAM structures become more complex. The company is well positioned to benefit from rising spending on advanced memory and HBM, although its exposure differs from Lam Research’s focus on etch and deposition.
In the last reported results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, KLA revenues soared 15% year over year to $3.66 billion, while its semiconductor process control systems segment’s revenues rose 13% to $3.26 billion. Memory accounted for 21% of semiconductor process control systems’ revenues, reflecting demand for HBM and increasingly complex DRAM manufacturing processes.
LRCX’s Share Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Lam Research have surged 100.4% year to date compared with the Zacks Electronics – Semiconductors industry’s rise of 34.1%.
Lam Research YTD Price Return Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Lam Research trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 35.83, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 14.58.
Lam Research Forward 12-Month P/E Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Lam Research’s fiscal 2027 and 2028 earnings implies a year-over-year increase of approximately 60.4% and 21.7%, respectively. Estimates for fiscal 2027 and 2028 have been revised upward over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Lam Research currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Dell Technologies letos vzrostla o 293,52 % díky rekordním objednávkám AI serverů. V 1. čtvrtletí tržby dosáhly 43,84 miliardy USD a tržby z AI serverů vyskočily meziročně o 757 % na 16,13 miliardy USD.
The best AI infrastructure trade of 2026 could be a server maker. Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL | DELL Price Prediction) trades at $490.81, up 293.52% year to date on record AI server orders. Our 24/7 Wall St. price target is $560.77, implying 14.25% upside over 12 months. We rate Dell a buy with 90% confidence.
Metric Value Current Price $490.81 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $560.77 Upside 14.25% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% A $24 Billion Quarter Reset the Narrative Dell’s Q1 FY27 earnings on May 28, 2026 reframed the AI trade. Revenue hit $43.84 billion, up 87.54% YoY, with non-GAAP EPS of $4.86 beating consensus by nearly 64%.
AI-optimized server revenue reached $16.13 billion (+757% YoY), and management booked $24.4 billion in AI orders in a single quarter, exiting with a $51.3 billion AI backlog. The stock has climbed 19.12% in the past month and sits 2% from its 52-week high of $514.
The Case for $585 and Higher Our bull scenario points to $585.31, or roughly 19% upside. Dell raised FY27 revenue to $165 to $169 billion and non-GAAP EPS to $17.90 at midpoint, up 74% YoY. CEO Jeff Clark said “demand continues to exceed supply” and framed customer conversations as “multi-year in nature. Think three, four, five years.”
ISG operating margin expanded to 10.5%, with agentic AI layering in as a fresh tailwind for traditional servers. 19 buy or strong buy ratings against zero sells show sell-side alignment with the bull view.
What Could Go Wrong Our bear case lands at $422.16, a 14% drawdown. Q1 gross margin compressed to 17.8% from 21.1% YoY as low-margin AI servers dominate mix. Negative stockholders’ equity of -$1.4 billion and hyperscaler concentration pose real risks.
Operating income still grew 213.82% YoY, offsetting the mix shift. A beta of 1.4 means any AI capex pause would hit Dell harder than the market.
How Dell Stacks Up Against HPE and Super Micro Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) is the closest enterprise server analog. HPE raised FY26 non-GAAP EPS guidance to $3.35 to $3.45 after posting Q2 revenue of $10.68 billion, up 40% YoY. HPE’s FY27 framework calls for 8% to 12% revenue growth, well below Dell’s 47% FY27 guide. Dell is scaling faster and returning more capital, supporting a premium.
Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI) is the AI server pure play. SMCI guided FY27 revenue to $65 to $72 billion and trades at a P/E near 12.
The cheap multiple reflects margin instability (Q1 FY26 GAAP gross margin was 9.3%) and an ongoing board review tied to export-control matters. Dell’s diversified ISG and CSG mix earns its higher multiple. The peer set supports our $560.77 target as a reasonable read.
Dell Price Prediction 2026-2030 The 24/7 Wall St. price target of $560.77 is our high-conviction call, backed by 90% model confidence and a forward P/E of 27 that looks fair given 74% EPS growth guidance.
The bull thesis rests on hyperscaler AI capex holding through 2027 (Dell is one server maker inside that buildout, and we mapped seven other non-chip AI infrastructure names in a free report). The bear thesis kicks in if memory and GPU supply loosen in a way that cracks pricing power.
Extending the 24/7 Wall St. price target model forward, here is where Dell could trade assuming ISG growth normalizes and traditional server refresh cycles support the base.
Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $560 2027 $625 2028 $685 2029 $730 2030 $763 These projections assume Dell converts AI backlog to revenue and defends ISG operating margins. Significant upside or downside could result from hyperscaler AI capex trajectory or a sustained shift in GPU allocation away from Dell’s platforms.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Mondelez zvýšil výhled organického růstu čistých tržeb pro rok 2026 na alespoň 2 % z předchozího rozpětí 0 % až 2 %. Ve 2. čtvrtletí organické tržby vzrostly o 2,2 %.
Key Takeaways Mondelez raises its 2026 organic net revenue growth outlook to at least 2% from flat to 2%. Q2 organic revenues rose 2.2%, with volume/mix adding 0.7 points and pricing contributing 1.5 points. Emerging Markets and North America stayed strong, while Europe is expected to improve in the second half. Mondelez International, Inc. (MDLZ - Free Report) closed the first half of 2026 with organic revenue growth supported by improving volume/mix and continued pricing. Growth in the second quarter was broad across three of its four regions, while Europe showed signs of improvement. This momentum prompted the company to raise its full-year organic net revenue growth outlook.
Organic net revenues increased 2.2% in the second quarter, with volume/mix contributing 0.7 percentage points and pricing adding 1.5 points. Excluding the impact of package downsizing, underlying volume/mix was about 1.2 points. For the first six months of 2026, organic net revenues rose 2.6%, including 0.1 point from volume/mix and 2.5 points from pricing.
Emerging Markets grew 4.4% organically in the second quarter, supported by 1.6 points of volume/mix. North America advanced 3.4%, with volume/mix up 1.2 points. AMEA delivered 7.1% growth, including a 5.2-point volume/mix contribution, while Latin America increased 8.4%. The Latin America result included an approximately 1.5-point benefit from higher trade inventory ahead of the SAP S4 implementation in the mid-third quarter.
Europe remained softer, with organic revenues down 3.5% and volume/mix declining 2.1 points, largely reflecting lower chocolate volumes tied to unusually hot weather. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company expects European volumes to improve through the second half.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Mondelez now expects at least 2% organic net revenue growth for 2026 compared with its previous outlook of flat to a 2% increase. Continued positive volume/mix, strength across Emerging Markets and North America and further improvement in Europe are the key elements supporting that higher full-year growth expectation.
Shares of MDLZ have rallied 15.5% year to date, outpacing the industry’s growth of 5%.
Better-Ranked Stocks to ConsiderDarling Ingredients Inc. (DAR - Free Report) , a global developer and producer of sustainable natural ingredients derived from edible and inedible bio-nutrients, currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Darling’s current fiscal-year sales calls for 12.8% growth from the prior-year levels. The consensus estimate for current fiscal-year earnings per share (EPS) stands at $6.98, which implies substantial growth from the year-ago period. DAR delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 38.9%, on average.
The Vita Coco Company, Inc. (COCO - Free Report) , a leading beverage company that develops, markets and distributes coconut water and other plant-based beverages, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1. COCO delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 21.9%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The Vita Coco Company’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings calls for growth of 31.6% and 64.7%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.
US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD - Free Report) engages in the marketing, sale and distribution of fresh, frozen and dry food and non-food products to foodservice customers in the United States. USFD currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). US Foods Holding delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.5%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for US Foods Holding’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 5.3% and 16.3%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.
Shares of Carvana (NYSE:CVNA | CVNA Price Prediction) are down 7% to $65.50 Tuesday morning, extending a slide that has left Carvana stock lower for 2026 even as the used-vehicle disruptor just posted its best quarter on record. The move puts the year-to-date figure squarely at odds with the operating story.
Through Monday’s close, Carvana stock was down 17% year to date (YTD). CarMax stock, meanwhile, was up 51% over the same stretch. That inversion is the headline, and it puts pressure on the original thesis that Carvana’s online-first model was uniquely defensible against traditional dealers.
Record Quarter, Falling Stock Carvana’s Q2 2026 report on July 29 delivered all-time records. Total revenue reached $7.4 billion, up 52% versus Q2 2025, net income was $513 million, up 66.6%, and retail units sold hit 197,325, up 38%.
Carvana’s gross profit per unit was $7,014, down 5.4%, the one operating metric moving the wrong way. Online used-vehicle inventory at Carvana reached roughly 77,000 as of June 30, up from 75,000 at year-end 2025 and 53,000 a year earlier.
CEO Ernie Garcia III flagged inventory as a drag on the July 29 call, stating “Inventory has undergrown sales over the last several months, and that certainly creates a headwind to just the overall business. The team’s got a great plan, and we’re confident they’ll catch up and hopefully surpass it in the not-too-distant future.” The comment framed inventory build as a near-term margin headwind rather than a demand problem.
Garcia frames Carvana’s growth as a virtuous circle where more inventory drives more sales, sales make marketing more efficient, and demand pulls in more inventory. The company is also integrating ADESA, acquired in 2022, across 56 U.S. locations, with a stated goal of selling 3 million used cars annually within five to 10 years.
The Bear Debate Retail investor debate on Stocktwits has moved past the quarterly beat at Carvana. Community threads flag skepticism about the business model, concerns over aggressive accounting, elevated institutional short interest, and recent reports of federal scrutiny of related-party transactions.
None of those concerns are established fact against Carvana, and the company holds 2% of the U.S. used retail vehicle market with capacity for 1.5 million annual retail units and real estate to scale to 3 million. Yet the friction between short holders and long holders has widened, and Carvana stock reflects that unease more than the record quarter.
Peers Sit Flat as CarMax Runs CarMax (NYSE:KMX) stock is down 0.4% to $58.29 Tuesday, with CarMax shares up 51% year to date through Monday’s close. The company runs more than 255 stores, with digital capabilities supporting 84% of retail unit sales, and CarMax Auto Finance originated $8 billion in loans in fiscal 2026 against a $16 billion portfolio.
Meanwhile, Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) stock is down 0.4% to $367.91, with Lithia shares up 12% year to date through Monday. The company operates the largest global automotive retail footprint, including Driveway.com, GreenCars.com, and Driveway Finance Corporation across the U.S., U.K. and Canada.
Also, AutoNation (NYSE:AN) stock is down 0.8% to $203.43, with AutoNation shares down 0.7% year to date through Monday. The company runs franchised dealerships nationwide, and AutoNation Finance carries a portfolio exceeding $2.7 billion.
The read is straightforward. The incumbents have built their own digital storefronts and captive-finance arms, which weakens the argument that Carvana’s online model is uniquely defensible. CarMax’s large 2026 gain against Carvana’s decline is the clearest expression of that shift.
The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLY) shares are down 2% year to date through Monday’s close. The fund holds Carvana among many constituents, so it offers a loose read on used-vehicle retail, with concentration in a small number of large consumer names and no leverage.
What to Watch Investors could look for signs that Carvana’s inventory growth catches up to sales in coming quarters. Any formal disclosure tied to the reported scrutiny of related-party transactions could reframe the bear case at Carvana.
Carvana’s gross profit per unit is the other line to track, since it was the sole operating metric moving the wrong way last quarter. Stabilization there would blunt one of the loudest points in the short thesis.
On the peer side, CarMax’s late-fall Strategic Update under new CEO Keith Barr is the next major catalyst for the incumbents. A credible turnaround plan could sustain the KMX rerating and keep pressure on the argument that Carvana’s model is uniquely defensible.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Permian Resources zvýšila výhled těžby ropy pro rok 2026 na 197 000 až 201 000 barelů denně a zároveň navýšila kapitálové výdaje na 1,9 až 2 miliardy USD. Ve druhé polovině roku očekává produkci nad 200 000 barelů denně.
Key Takeaways Permian Resources raised 2026 oil guidance to 197,000-201,000 barrels per day on higher working interest.PR lifted capital-spending guidance to $1.9-$2 billion to support higher activity and Ward County production.PR expects second-half oil output above 200,000 barrels per day while Waha gas constraints remain a risk. Permian Resources Corporation (PR - Free Report) raised its 2026 oil-production target after second-quarter adjusted earnings of 69 cents per share topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 56 cents. Oil and gas sales of $1.86 billion also exceeded the $1.64 billion consensus mark.
The higher outlook shifts attention to execution. More working interest, workovers and acquired production can lift volumes, but higher spending makes capital efficiency a central second-half test.
PR's Oil Target Rises With Higher Working InterestPR lifted the midpoint of full-year oil guidance to 199,000 barrels per day, 10,000 barrels per day above its initial February target. The company now expects 197,000-201,000 barrels per day for 2026.
Image Source: Permian Resources Corporation
Higher working interest from ground-game activity, increased workovers and Ward County production are the main drivers. Average full-year working interest is expected to exceed 80%, while first-half acquisitions carried no existing production.
Permian Resources Spends More to Support the LiftCash capital-expenditure guidance increased to $1.9-$2 billion, including about $25 million tied to Ward County. The higher budget reflects greater working interest and takeover capital for the bolt-on acquisition.
Image Source: Permian Resources Corporation
PR is using longer laterals, record recycled-water volumes, water-based mud and slimmer-hole designs to limit development intensity. Those gains largely offset higher diesel costs in the second quarter, although rising casing costs could test progress. Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG - Free Report) , another Permian-focused producer, offers a regional comparison for development efficiency.
PR's Second-Half Output Sets a Higher BarPR expects second-half oil production to exceed 200,000 barrels per day. Its full-year plan also calls for approximately 250 gross operated wells turned in line, raising the execution burden through year-end.
Average lateral length is expected to be about 11,000 feet, and PR drilled its first four-mile lateral in the second quarter. Matador Resources Company (MTDR - Free Report) , focused primarily on the Delaware Basin's Wolfcamp and Bone Spring plays, provides another regional benchmark for development execution.
Permian Resources' Q2 Cash Flow Supports the PlanSecond-quarter adjusted free cash flow reached $750.7 million, while adjusted operating cash flow totaled $1.3 billion. Cash capital expenditures were $521.4 million.
PR ended June with $131.7 million of cash and cash equivalents and about $3 billion of long-term debt. Leverage was about 0.5x at quarter-end, providing flexibility as the company funds acquisitions and the higher activity plan.
Image Source: Permian Resources Corporation
PR's Waha Exposure Could Complicate GrowthWaha natural gas prices averaged negative $3.14 per thousand cubic feet in the second quarter. PR curtailed wells with high gas-to-oil ratios, reducing natural gas production about 20% sequentially, while transportation and hedging lifted realized gas pricing to 38 cents per thousand cubic feet.
More than 700 million cubic feet per day of firm transport to Gulf Coast and Dallas-Fort Worth markets is expected in 2027. Until that capacity is fully available, renewed regional takeaway pressure could weaken realizations or force additional curtailments.
PR's Hold Signal Tempers the Guidance BoostThe raised oil target has identifiable operational support, but its investment value depends on converting higher activity into production without allowing service-cost inflation or gas constraints to erode capital efficiency.
PR currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), so it lacks the stronger near-term signal associated with Zacks Rank #1 or #2 stocks. Its VGM Score of A, Growth Score of A, Momentum Score of A and Value Score of B are favorable style grades, but the Style Scores complement the Zacks Rank rather than override it. The combination supports a measured view rather than an unqualified bullish call.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Rocket Lab představila GHOST, přenosný startovní systém pro Electron a HASTE, který má rozšířit starty i mimo stávající lokality. První místo vznikne na Launch Complex 4 v Pacific Spaceport Complex v Kodiaku, kde jsou plánované dvě startovní rampy a debut v roce 2027.
Key Takeaways Rocket Lab's GHOST extends Electron and HASTE operations beyond existing launch sites.GHOST combines rockets, launch infrastructure and range-control systems in a deployable system.Rocket Lab's Kodiak facility will feature two launch pads to support high-frequency campaigns. Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB - Free Report) is expanding its launch infrastructure strategy with GHOST, a globally deployable launch system designed to support orbital and suborbital missions from new locations. On Aug. 10, 2026, the company unveiled GHOST as a containerized system that packages rockets, launch infrastructure, ground support and range-control systems for deployment worldwide.
GHOST is designed to extend the reach of Rocket Lab's Electron and HASTE rockets beyond its existing launch sites. The system's first location, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 4, will be established at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, AK, with two launch pads planned to aid high-frequency campaigns. The facility is expected to make its operational debut with a suborbital launch in 2027.
The deployable infrastructure also allows Rocket Lab to use common ground infrastructure for both Electron and HASTE. This gives the company greater flexibility to support orbital and suborbital missions from additional locations while expanding the potential applications of its existing launch vehicles.
By making launch infrastructure more modular and transportable, GHOST could help Rocket Lab respond to missions that require greater geographic flexibility and rapid site activation. Expanding launch locations also provides an opportunity to support sovereign launch requirements and time-sensitive national security missions, potentially broadening Rocket Lab's addressable launch market.
Companies Expanding Responsive Launch InfrastructureThe growing need for flexible access to space is encouraging launch companies to expand infrastructure and mission capabilities. Companies like Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (FLY - Free Report) and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SPCX - Free Report) are also enhancing launch capabilities to improve mission flexibility and responsiveness.
Firefly Aerospace operates launch infrastructure for its Alpha rocket and is expanding its launch capabilities to support commercial and government missions.
Space Exploration Technologies leverages a geographically distributed launch network and high launch cadence to enable rapid deployment of commercial and national-security missions.
Earnings Estimates for RKLB StockThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings per share suggests year-over-year growth of 70.37% and 56.25%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RKLB Stock Is Trading at a PremiumRocket Lab is trading at a premium relative to the industry, with a forward 12-month price-to-sales of 41.62X compared with the industry average of 8.88X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RKLB Stock Price PerformanceOver the past year, RKLB shares have surged 100.3% compared with the industry’s 16.3% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RKLB’s Zacks RankRocket Lab currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Rocket Lab stock has rebounded in the past few weeks, moving from a low of $58.25 to $82, helped by its strong earnings and increasing backlog. It also jumped after the company inked a major deal with Viasat and other organizations. It has formed a giant double-bottom pattern, pointing to more upside in the near term.
RKLB stock continued rising this week, reaching a major deal with Viasat, one of the top companies in the satellite communications industry. In a statement, Rocket Lab said that it would deliver a GEO configuration of its high-performance Lightning spacecraft platform to host Viasat’s dual-band X/Ka-band payload. This project is part of the U.S. Space Force. In a statement, Peter Beck, the CEO, said:
"Moving from design into production marks an important milestone for this program and for Rocket Lab's growing role in national security space. By pairing our vertically integrated spacecraft with Viasat's protected communications payload, we're delivering resilient, space-based communications infrastructure that keeps our forces connected.”
More companies and organizations have embraced Rocket Lab’s products and services. For example, it recently implemented a major contract for MDA Space, a Canadian company. This contract was part of the replenishment of Globalstar’s existing constellation, which provides direct-to-device communications services and IoT applications. The first eight of the 17 satellites were launched on August 15.
The most recent results showed that its revenue backlog jumped to $2.34 billion from $2 billion in the first quarter of the year. Its backlog in the third quarter so far was $800 million. Some of these deals are from companies like Kepler Communications, iQPS, and the Space Force.
These numbers helped to push its revenue up substantially. Its revenue jumped by 62% in the second quarter to $234 million, helped by its Space Systems business. 51% of its contracts are from commercial clients, with the rest being government.
Rocket Lab expects that its vertical integration model will help to boost its revenue growth over time. To achieve that, it recently acquired Iridium in a $8 billion deal. Before that, it acquired Mynaric and Motiv. Mynaric is a laser communications company making optical communication terminals for space and airborne applications. Motiv, on the other hand, makes robotic arms and motor controllers.
Rocket Lab’s growth will likely continue doing well in the coming years. For example, analysts expect the upcoming results to show that its revenue to come in at $230 million, up by 60% from a year earlier. For the year, the revenue is expected to jump by 58% to $952 million, followed by $1.3 billion next year.
Rocket Lab stock chart | Source: TradingView
The daily chart shows that the RKLB stock has rebounded in the past few days. It has jumped from a low of $58.24 to $82 today. A closer look shows that the stock has slowly formed a double-bottom pattern at $58.25 and a neckline at the all-time high of $151.
The risk, however, is that the stock may be forming a head-and-shoulders pattern, a common bearish sign. In this case, the left shoulder is at $99.77. As such, the stock needs to move above the key resistance at $99.77 to confirm the bullish outlook. If this happens, it will raise the possibility of the stock soaring to an all-time high.
On the flip side, a drop below the support level of $60 will invalidate the bullish outlook and point to more downside.
READ MORE: Analysts raise Rocket Lab stock targets after earnings: Why it could still hit $50
Americký solární trh dál táhne silná poptávka, ale OBBBA a vyšší cla zvyšují náklady i nejistotu. SEIA čeká, že solární flotila USA se během pěti let zdvojnásobí.
The U.S. solar market continues to benefit from strong demand from utilities, commercial customers and power-hungry data centers, with SEIA forecasting the nation’s solar fleet to double over the next five years. However, policy changes under the OBBBA and rising tariffs are creating a more uneven growth outlook by increasing uncertainty, raising manufacturing costs and putting pressure on supply chains. While utility-scale solar is expected to remain the primary growth driver, the expiration of residential tax incentives and ongoing trade actions could weigh on broader market expansion. A few prominent companies that solar investors may want to monitor are First Solar (FSLR - Free Report) , Enphase Energy (ENPH - Free Report) and T1 Energy Inc (TE - Free Report) .
About the Industry The Zacks Solar industry can be fundamentally categorized into two groups of companies. One is involved in designing and producing high-efficiency solar modules, panels and cells, while the other is engaged in installing grids and, in some cases, entire solar power systems. The industry also includes a handful of companies that manufacture inverters for solar power systems, which convert solar power from modules into electricity required by electric grids. Per a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (“EIA”), solar’s share of U.S. electricity generation will be 8% in 2026 and 9% in 2027. It remains the nation's dominant form of new generating capacity.
3 Trends Shaping the Future of the Solar Industry Strong Demand Supports Solar Market Growth: Across the United States, utilities and commercial customers are turning to solar power paired with battery storage to meet their growing need for affordable, dependable and cleaner electricity. Higher power costs and corporate decarbonization goals are strengthening the economic case for solar, while battery systems provide an added layer of reliability by supplying electricity when grid conditions are strained or outages occur. At the same time, surging power requirements from data centers are creating a powerful new source of demand for renewable generation and energy storage. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence, cloud services and other digital technologies is driving hyperscalers and technology companies to commit substantial capital to large-scale solar and storage projects. By securing additional generation and storage capacity, these companies can better address their future electricity needs while advancing their emissions-reduction and net-zero objectives.
A report published in June 2026 by the Solar Energy Industries Association (“SEIA”) states that U.S. solar outlook for 2026-2031 has been raised by 1.4%, driven mainly by stronger utility-scale demand. The updated forecast points to the U.S. solar fleet doubling over the next five years, although annual capacity additions are expected to remain largely stagnant. By comparison, the previous doubling of the U.S. solar industry took just three years.
Policy Changes Reshape the U.S. Solar Growth Outlook: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) has significantly changed the timeline for federal solar tax incentives. The key July 4, 2026, deadline for beginning construction has now passed, meaning solar projects that did not commence construction by that date generally must be placed in service by Dec. 31, 2027, to qualify for the Section 48E Investment Tax Credit or Section 45Y Production Tax Credit. Another major policy issue is the OBBBA's new Foreign Entity of Concern (“FEOC”) restrictions. These rules affect projects seeking the 45Y and 48E credits, as well as manufacturers claiming the Section 45X advanced manufacturing credit. The OBBBA also eliminated the Section 25D residential clean-energy tax credit for customer-owned solar and storage systems after Dec. 31, 2025. This has created a more immediate headwind for the residential market than for utility-scale solar. SEIA expects residential installations to decline sharply in 2026 following the expiration of 25D. SEIA expects the OBBBA to create a more uneven growth profile. Developers have been accelerating projects and securing their pipelines in response to the new tax-credit rules, which could pull some installations forward into 2026-2027 while creating greater uncertainty beyond that period.
Tariff Policies Add Pressure to the U.S. Solar Industry: The heightened U.S. tariffs on imported goods have been negatively impacting nearly all industries, and solar is no exception. As expected, these tariffs have increased manufacturing costs for solar companies, which were already grappling with raw material shortages due to global supply-chain challenges. The SEIA’s June 2026 report highlights tariffs and ongoing trade actions as a significant challenge for the U.S. solar manufacturing industry. Although domestic module production has expanded substantially and now supplies about 70% of U.S. solar installations, manufacturers still depend heavily on imported solar cells, with the United States having only about 3 GW of domestic cell manufacturing capacity. New preliminary antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) tariffs announced for solar cells and modules from India, Indonesia and Laos add further pressure, while Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam were already subject to tariffs. Together, these six countries supplied 78% of U.S. cell imports in 2025, meaning the trade measures could raise costs and tighten component availability for domestic manufacturers. SEIA also warned that a potential Section 232 action on solar-grade polysilicon and derivative products could further constrain U.S. solar manufacturing, depending on its scope.
Zacks Industry Rank Reflects Gloomy Outlook The Zacks Solar industry is housed within the broader Zacks Oils-Energy sector. It currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #202, which places it in the bottom 18% of more than 247 Zacks industries.
The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates bleak near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
The industry’s position in the bottom 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries is due to a negative earnings outlook for the constituent companies in aggregate. Looking at the aggregate earnings estimate revisions, it appears that analysts have lost confidence in this group’s earnings growth potential over the past few months. The industry’s bottom-line estimate for the current fiscal year has moved down 10.7% to $1.34 since May 31.
Before we present a few solar stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, let’s take a look at the industry’s recent stock-market performance and valuation picture.
Industry Lags Sector & S&P 500 The solar industry has underperformed both its sector and the Zacks S&P 500 composite over the past year. The stocks in this industry have collectively lost 6.9% over the past year, while the Oils-Energy sector has risen 37.6%. The Zacks S&P 500 composite has surged 23% in the same time frame.
One-Year Price Performance
Industry's Current Valuation On the basis of the trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA, which is commonly used for valuing solar stocks, the industry is currently trading at 10.66X compared with the S&P 500’s 18.16X and the sector’s 5.83X.
Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 32.53X, as low as 4.48X and at the median of 12.44X.
EV-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)
3 Solar Stocks to Watch First Solar: Based in Tempe, AZ, the company is a leading global provider of comprehensive PV solar energy solutions and specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling solar electric power modules using a proprietary thin-film semiconductor technology. On July 30, 2026, FSLR reported second-quarter results. The company achieved record second-quarter and first-half module sales volume, surpassed 100 GW of cumulative global module sales, and ended June with a substantial 45.1 GW contracted backlog extending through 2030. First Solar also maintained its 2026 guidance, including 17.0-18.2 GW of volume sold, $4.9-$5.2 billion in net sales and $2.6-$2.8 billion in adjusted EBITDA.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for First Solar’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates an improvement of 24.91% from the prior-year reported figure. The consensus estimate for 2027 EPS indicates an improvement of 36.93% year over year. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Price & Consensus: FSLR
Enphase Energy: Based in Fremont, CA, this company is a global energy technology company that delivers energy management technology for the solar industry. It designs, develops, manufactures and sells home energy solutions, which connect energy generation, energy storage and control and communications management on a single intelligent platform. On July 28, 2026, Enphase Energy reported second-quarter results. The company shipped 1.59 million microinverters and 113.8 MWh of IQ Batteries, with battery shipments up from 103.1 MWh in the first quarter. U.S. manufacturing remained strong with 1.58 million microinverters and battery inverters shipped from its Texas and South Carolina facilities.
The consensus estimate for Enphase Energy’s 2027 EPS indicates an increase of 20% year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2027 sales indicates an increase of 9.56% year over year. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3.
Price & Consensus: ENPH
T1 Energy: Based in New York, the company is an energy solutions provider, building an integrated supply chain for solar and batteries. On Aug. 12, 2026, T1 Energy reported second-quarter results. T1 Energy reported approximately $250 million in net sales, while the company’s G1_Dallas facility continued to ramp up production. The company expects full-year 2026 production to reach the high end of its 3.1-4.2 GW target. T1 Energy also monetized its remaining 2025 Section 45X tax credits for $39.1 million, helping strengthen liquidity. However, it remained loss-making, with an estimated net loss from continuing operations of $34-$37 million and negative adjusted EBITDA of $14.5-$11.5 million.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for T1 Energy’s 2026 EPS indicates an increase of 83.25% year over year. The consensus estimate for 2026 sales indicates an increase of 27.23% year over year. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Interactive Brokers rozšiřuje možnosti financování účtů pro klienty v Latinské Americe díky spolupráci s Paysafe’s SafetyPay. Klienti mohou vkládat peníze přímo z místních bankovních účtů v místních měnách.
Interactive Brokers (Nasdaq: IBKR), an automated global broker, today announced a new funding solution for IBKR clients in Latin America, through a collaboration with Paysafe’s SafetyPay. The integration expands IBKR's range of funding methods and reinforces its commitment to providing fast, simple, and cost-effective account funding services for clients in the region.
SafetyPay allows eligible clients in Latin America to fund their IBKR accounts directly from personal bank accounts in local currencies, simplifying the path from deposit to investing. Once accounts are funded, clients can readily access IBKR's full range of products, including stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, funds, and more across over 170 global markets from a single unified platform.
“Funding an account should be straightforward,” said Milan Galik, Chief Executive Officer of Interactive Brokers. “SafetyPay gives clients in Latin America a simple way to transfer funds from their local bank accounts and quickly access the global markets available through IBKR. We will continue to improve the funding experience by adding practical local solutions that make it easier for clients to invest.”
For additional information, please visit: Account Funding
The best-informed investors choose Interactive Brokers.
About Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.:
Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBKR) is a member of the S&P 500. Its affiliates provide automated trade execution and custody of securities, commodities, foreign exchange, and prediction markets around the clock on over 170 markets in numerous countries and currencies from a single unified platform to clients worldwide. We serve individual investors, hedge funds, proprietary trading groups, financial advisors and introducing brokers. Our four decades of focus on technology and automation have enabled us to equip our clients with a uniquely sophisticated platform to manage their investment portfolios. We strive to provide our clients with advantageous execution prices and trading, risk and portfolio management tools, research facilities and investment products, all at low or no cost, positioning them to achieve superior returns on investments. Interactive Brokers has consistently earned recognition as a top broker, garnering multiple awards and accolades from respected industry sources such as Barron's, Investopedia, Stockbrokers.com, and many others.
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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260818904999/en/
BVNK nově podporuje vklady a výplaty USDC na Arbitrum pro firemní správu pokladny a vypořádání. Tím rozšiřuje podporu regulovaných stablecoinů napříč blockchainy.
BVNK adds USDC on Arbitrum for corporate payouts@BVNKFinance now supports $USDC deposits and payouts on @Arbitrum, targeting corporate treasury and settlement workflows. The move allows companies to move funds across both fiat and digital rails, with lower latency and lower transaction fees compared with traditional cross-border banking systems.
The integration runs on BVNK's existing payments infrastructure, which processes more than $36 billion in annual volume across more than 130 countries. That scale gives the Arbitrum-based $USDC capability an immediate enterprise footing, rather than a pilot-stage rollout.
By routing regulated stablecoins like $USDC through @Arbitrum, the setup provides near-instant cross-border velocity. Arbitrum's speed, low cost, and scale make it a practical fit for the next phase of institutional finance.
Where this fits in Mastercard's broader stablecoin pushThe development sits within a wider strategic shift at Mastercard. In March 2026, Mastercard agreed to acquire BVNK for up to $1.8 billion, comprising a $1.5 billion base payment plus up to $300 million tied to performance targets. The completed acquisition expands Mastercard's strategy to support interoperability across fiat and digital currencies.
Mastercard's settlement framework supports regulated stablecoins including Circle's $USDC, with these stablecoins enabled across a range of blockchain networks including @Arbitrum, Base, Canton, Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Tempo, and XRPL.
Traditional banking systems are restricted by weekend and holiday closures, while blockchain rails operate continuously. This allows global firms to move liquidity outside standard banking hours to prepare for operations across different time zones. Compared with $15 to $50 per wire on the originator side and 25 to 75 basis points in FX spread on cross-border legs, stablecoin transfers are an order of magnitude cheaper at most B2B volumes.
Jorn Lambert, chief product officer at Mastercard, noted that "digital currencies, particularly stablecoins, are increasingly addressing real-world needs in areas like cross-border B2B payments, remittances, payouts, settlement and treasury flows."
Sources
Mastercard completes acquisition of BVNK (Mastercard Press Release)
Mastercard expands stablecoin settlement capabilities (Mastercard Press Release)
Mastercard taps Arbitrum for global stablecoin settlement (Arbitrum Blog)
Main Street Capital od roku 2007 nesnížila základní měsíční dividendu a od roku 2021 ji zvýšila už 12krát. K tomu vyplácí i doplňkovou čtvrtletní dividendu, kterou drží 20 kvartálů v řadě.
Main Street Capital (MAIN +0.14%) has been a very reliable income stock. The business development company (BDC) has never cut its base monthly dividend since going public in 2007, something most of its peers have done at least once. Instead, it has increased this payment by 141% overall, including 12 raises since 2021.
Here's a closer look at what makes it such a bankable monthly dividend stock.
Image source: Getty Images.
A stable and steadily rising income base Main Street Capital currently pays a base monthly dividend of $0.265 per share ($3.18 annualized). At its current annualized rate and share price, it yields 5.4%. The base rate has grown by 3.9% over the past year and by over 29% since 2021.
Several factors have helped drive its stable, growing dividend. Main Street Capital set its base monthly dividend at a conservative level. Its distributable net investment income (DNII) before taxes currently covers the payout by a comfy 1.4 times. Meanwhile, its investment portfolio primarily consists of secured loans that generate recurring interest income to support the dividend. Additionally, Main Street Capital will make equity investments in its portfolio companies that generate dividend income and provide capital appreciation. The upside from those equity investments has been a key driver of dividend growth over the years, as Main Street can monetize gains and reinvest the proceeds to expand its portfolio of income-generating investments. They've helped grow its net asset value per share by 164% since 2007.
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But wait, there's even more income here As a BDC, Main Street Capital must distribute at least 90% of its taxable net income to shareholders in dividends. Given its conservative monthly dividend level, the company needs to return additional income to shareholders, which it does by periodically paying supplemental quarterly dividends. Main Street has paid one for 20 consecutive quarters, including maintaining its current rate of $0.30 per share since early 2024. Add that to the monthly payments ($4.38 annualized), and Main Street's total current income yield is 7.4%.
Unlike the monthly dividend, Main Street Capital has cut and suspended this supplemental payment in the past due to market conditions. However, this dual dividend structure provides investors with a bankable recurring monthly income stream and the potential for meaningful additional income each quarter from supplemental payments. It has already declared its next supplemental dividend of $0.30 per share, payable in September. It currently expects to pay an additional significant supplemental dividend in December, based on its expectation of continued strong performance in the third quarter.
One bankable payment plus a potential income bonus Main Street Capital offers investors the opportunity to earn two income streams. It pays a base dividend set at a level it can sustain and grow. Additionally, it periodically pays supplemental dividends from its excess income. The BDC has increased its base payment 12 times since 2021, while making 20 straight supplemental quarterly payments. While there might be a time in the future when it doesn't make a supplemental payment, the BDC should continue to sustain and grow its base payment. Its unique dividend policy makes it an excellent passive-income stock to hold over the long term.
United Therapeutics dokončila nábor 754 pacientů do fáze III studie TETON-PPF s Tyvaso pro progresivní plicní fibrózu. Pozitivní výsledky by mohly podpořit podání k FDA o rozšíření indikace.
Key Takeaways United Therapeutics enrolled 754 PPF patients in the 52-week TETON-PPF Phase III study.The study's primary endpoint is the change in absolute FVC from baseline through week 52.Positive results could support an FDA filing to add PPF to Tyvaso's labeled indications. United Therapeutics (UTHR - Free Report) announced completing enrollment in the phase III TETON-PPF study evaluating Tyvaso (treprostinil) inhalation solution for the treatment of progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF). The global registrational study is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of nebulized Tyvaso in this patient population over 52 weeks. Per UTHR, PPF is a progressive form of interstitial lung disease (ILD) marked by worsening lung function and fibrosis, with approximately 200,000 patients estimated to be affected in the United States.
United Therapeutics’ Tyvaso is already approved for two indications. It is indicated to improve exercise ability in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH; WHO Group 1) and in patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD; WHO Group 3). However, its use in PPF remains investigational, and the FDA has not approved nebulized Tyvaso for this indication.
UTHR’s Phase III PPF Study Design in DetailUnited Therapeutics’ phase III TETON-PPF placebo-controlled study has enrolled 754 PPF patients who were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either nebulized Tyvaso or placebo. Treatment began at three breaths four times daily and was gradually increased, as tolerated, toward a target of 12 breaths four times daily. The treatment period will run for 52 weeks, with patients who complete the final study visit potentially eligible for an open-label extension.
Year to date, shares of United Therapeutics have gained 4.3% against the industry’s 1.1% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The primary endpoint is the change in absolute forced vital capacity (FVC) from baseline through week 52, which is intended to measure the treatment’s effect on lung function. Secondary endpoints include time to first clinical worsening, time to first acute exacerbation of ILD, overall survival at week 52, change in percent predicted FVC, change in the King’s Brief Interstitial Lung Disease questionnaire score and change in diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide.
The study is also collecting data on N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels and supplemental oxygen use, while safety assessments cover adverse events, laboratory measures, vital signs and electrocardiograms.
UTHR’s Next StepsHaving completed enrollment in the phase III study evaluating Tyvaso, United Therapeutics expects to report top-line results in the second half of 2027. The readout will be an important milestone for UTHR, as positive results could expand access to a potential new treatment option for patients with PPF, who currently have limited therapies available and face progressive loss of lung function, poorer quality of life and increased mortality.
Subject to the success of the TETON-PPF study, United Therapeutics plans to use the data to support a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) with the FDA to add PPF to the labeled indications for nebulized Tyvaso.
Separately, UTHR is already seeking priority review for an sNDA submitted to the FDA in June 2026 to add idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis to the labeled indications for nebulized Tyvaso, based on data from the TETON-1 and TETON-2 studies.
Under the FDA’s Priority Review pathway, the agency aims to take action on an eligible marketing application within six months compared with 10 months under standard review. Priority Review is generally granted to applications for drugs that treat serious conditions and, if approved, would provide a significant improvement in the safety or effectiveness of treatment, diagnosis or prevention.
UTHR’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderUnited Therapeutics currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Amneal Pharmaceuticals (AMRX - Free Report) , Repligen (RGEN - Free Report) and AC Immune (ACIU - Free Report) . AMRX and RGEN currently sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each, while ACIU carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Over the past 60 days, earnings estimates for Amneal Pharmaceuticals have increased from $1.00 to $1.02 for 2026. Over the same period, earnings estimates increased from $1.12 to $1.21 for 2027. AMRX shares have risen 46.1% year to date.
Amneal Pharmaceuticals beat earnings in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 32.82%.
Over the past 60 days, estimates for Repligen’s 2026 earnings per share have risen from $1.99 to $2.06, while estimates for 2027 have increased from $2.57 to $2.61. RGEN shares have gained 3.2% year to date.
Repligen’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 16.80%.
Over the past 60 days, estimates for AC Immune’s 2026 loss per share have narrowed from 84 cents to 60 cents. Over the same period, earnings estimates for 2027 remained unchanged at 17 cents. ACIU shares have plunged 19.4% year to date.
AC Immune’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 33.25%.
Kaspa po aktivaci Toccata na mainnetu 30. června 2026 běží bez problémů a zachovala si svou UTXO architekturu. Aktivita covenantů ale rychle roste, protože jejich využití vzrostlo v prvních týdnech po spuštění více než 15násobně.
@kaspaunchained's Toccata protocol activated on mainnet on June 30, 2026, marking one of the most significant upgrades in the project's history. Critically,
The activation went smoothly. Hashrate readiness was near-total heading into the switch, and the network's UTXO architecture was left intact throughout the process, preserving Kaspa's core design while layering in new programmable capabilities.
Early On-Chain Activity and Network Performance Kaspa continues to operate at its established throughput of 10 blocks per second, a rate set by the earlier Crescendo hard fork.
Since Toccata went live, on-chain utilisation remains low relative to total capacity, but early covenant activity has grown quickly. Tokens, vaults, and developer experiments have been appearing on-chain, with covenant usage rising by more than 15 times in the first few weeks after activation.
$KAS Price and Market Position The Toccata upgrade followed a similar pattern. After a short rally around the activation date, $KAS has settled back.
The network's hashrate is also running below previous highs, weighed down by price pressure and reduced block emissions as Kaspa's supply schedule continues to wind down.
Looking ahead, the focus for $KAS will be on whether the programmability unlocked by Toccata translates into sustained developer and user growth.
Akcie Plug Power klesají o 5 % a Bloom Energy o 8 %, protože výnos 10letého amerického státního dluhopisu se drží poblíž 52týdenního maxima. Citlivé vodíkové tituly tak pod tlakem reagují na vyšší sazby.
Hydrogen and fuel cell stocks are sliding Tuesday morning as the 10-year Treasury note yield sits near the top of its 52-week range. Plug Power (NASDAQ:PLUG) stock is down 5% to $2.17.
Meanwhile, Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) stock is falling 8% to $214.44. FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ:FCEL) stock is holding relatively steady, as it’s only down 0.5% to $22.25.
Plug Power, Bloom Energy, and FuelCell Energy fund plants, manufacturing capacity, and long-duration projects, so higher discount rates compress their valuations while higher borrowing costs raise the price of buildout. Both effects push the same way.
The Yield Backdrop The 10-year Treasury yield at 4.728% sits below the 52-week high of 4.747% and inside a 52-week range that starts at 3.947%. Rate-sensitive corners of the market feel this immediately, and Plug Power, Bloom Energy, and FuelCell Energy sit at the sharp end given cash burn and long project horizons.
A higher discount rate compresses the present value of profits that management projects years out. Higher borrowing costs raise the tab on capital these companies need to build capacity.
Plug Power’s Q2 2026 Cushion Plug Power stock trails its peers on YTD gains despite a Q2 2026 report showing margin progress. The company’s revenue reached $178.3M, representing 2.5% year over year (YoY) growth from $168.8M. The company’s adjusted earnings were -$0.07, essentially in line.
The margin picture told a sharper story. The company’s adjusted EBITDA margin was negative 25.4%, and service margin reached 27%. CEO Jose Luis Crespo described a “meaningful step” in gross margin, approaching breakeven, and attributed it to improved service reliability and better utilization at hydrogen production plants.
On the earnings call, Crespo told Colin Rusch of Oppenheimer that better unit reliability, more efficient technician coverage, and recent service price adjustments drove the service margin gain. He told Eric Stine of Craig Hallum that refreshes for two major customers follow normal fleet renewal timing, with roughly 2,000 units expected in 2026 and further activity across the next three years. CFO Paul Middleton, replying to Manav Gupta of UBS, pointed to equipment volume growth, manufacturing cost reductions, and service reliability improvements as the main levers for the second half.
Rate exposure runs directly through liquidity at Plug Power. Middleton told Sameer Joshi of H.C. Wainwright that Plug Power’s convertible debt is long-dated and low cost, and that asset monetization and working capital improvements are supporting liquidity needs for the foreseeable future. A business running a negative 25.4% adjusted EBITDA margin that leans on asset monetization for cash faces more exposure to the price and availability of capital than a self-funding peer.
Peers Diverge: Bloom Energy and FuelCell Energy Bloom Energy stock is falling 8% to $214.44 Tuesday, giving back a slice of a year to date (YTD) advance of 167% through Monday’s close. The company makes solid oxide fuel cell systems for onsite power and has become a meaningful supplier to AI data center operators, including major U.S. hyperscalers and neocloud and colocation operators.
FuelCell Energy stock is essentially flat, down 0.5% to $22.25, with a YTD gain of 206% through Monday. Its business designs and operates carbonate fuel cell systems for distributed power generation, with a generation portfolio of approximately 62.8 MW across U.S. sites under long-term power purchase agreements.
Selling in Bloom Energy is heaviest despite AI data center exposure, while selling in FuelCell Energy is minimal. This points to a rate event rather than a demand event.
Plug Power’s 16% YTD gain through Monday trails both of the company’s peers by wide margins. A smaller run-up means less air to give back in a derating. PLUG stock has not been rewarded for the operational progress the second quarter showed, and the low absolute share price means small dollar moves produce large percentage swings.
Meanwhile, the Global X Hydrogen ETF (NASDAQ:HYDR) is up 44% year to date through Monday’s close. This narrow thematic vehicle carries significant concentration risk. A single-theme hydrogen basket offers little protection when the entire theme derates on rates.
What to Watch Investors could look for signs that the 10-year yield breaks above its 52-week high, as another leg higher can keep pressure on the group. Plug Power management has guided to positive gross margin in the second half, a key operational milestone for the stock. The material handling refresh cycle and its 2,000-unit 2026 target are the concrete milestones behind that path.
Plug Power’s bull case rests on margin progress, the 27% service margin, reduced cash burn, and long-dated, low-cost convertible debt. The bear case is real: a negative 25.4% adjusted EBITDA margin, continued losses, reliance on asset monetization for liquidity, and 2.5% revenue growth that is modest for a company still valued on future scale.
Given the low share price and volatility in Plug Power stock, your position sizes should stay moderate (we wrote a free playbook on speculating with just 5% of a portfolio, here: Small Stakes, Big Swings). Market action into the close and any further move in yields could set the tone for the hydrogen group through the rest of the week.
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Sonos ve 3. fiskálním čtvrtletí zvýšil tržby o 9 % na 375 mil. USD, ale vyšší náklady na paměti mají ve 4. čtvrtletí snížit hrubý zisk asi o 35 mil. USD.
Key Takeaways Sonos' fiscal Q3 revenues rose 9% to $375 million, accelerating from 2% growth in the first half.Higher memory costs are expected to cut SONO's fourth-quarter gross profit by about $35 million.Sonos ended fiscal Q3 with $261 million in cash and securities as inventory rose 37% year over year. Sonos, Inc. (SONO - Free Report) is returning to revenue growth as new products and international expansion lift demand. Third-quarter fiscal 2026 results showed a sharper top-line recovery and better earnings momentum.
The trade-off is increasingly visible in margins. Higher memory costs are set to intensify in the fourth quarter and remain a drag into fiscal 2027, leaving investors to weigh improving execution against a demanding operating backdrop.
Sonos Revenue Growth Is ReacceleratingThird-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues rose 9% year over year to $375 million after 2% growth in the first half. Sonos Play and Era 100 SL contributed meaningfully in their first full quarter of availability.
For fiscal 2026, management expects revenue growth of 6% to 8%, or 4% to 6% excluding the extra week. Amp Multi, scheduled to ship Aug. 25, adds another product aimed at professional installers and larger multi-zone projects.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
SONO Valuation Looks Reasonable but Not CheapSONO trades at 1.11X forward 12-month sales compared with 1.69X for the Zacks sub-industry and 2.29X for the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector. The stock is also exactly at its three-year median multiple of 1.11X.
A forward price-to-earnings ratio of 12.36 and price/earnings-to-growth ratio of 0.43 add context. Still, the shares are not clearly inexpensive relative to their own recent history.
Sonos Faces a Sharp Memory-Cost Margin SqueezeHigher memory costs reduced third-quarter gross margin by roughly 380 basis points and adjusted EBITDA by $14 million year over year. Sonos still generated adjusted EBITDA of $44 million, up 24%, but the cost pressure is accelerating.
Management expects higher memory prices to reduce fourth-quarter gross profit by about $35 million, equal to roughly 1,000 basis points of gross-margin pressure. For fiscal 2027, the lower end of the 39% to 41% fourth-quarter GAAP gross-margin range is a reasonable starting point as mitigation actions phase in.
SONO Still Has Balance Sheet Room to InvestSonos ended the third quarter with $206.9 million in cash and $54.1 million of marketable securities, or $261 million combined. Free cash flow reached $127.5 million through the first nine months of fiscal 2026.
That liquidity supports product development and expansion while preserving room for capital returns. Sonos repurchased $95.3 million of shares through the first nine months, but inventory of $158 million was up 37% year over year.
Sonos Growth Channels Raise the Execution StakesEurope, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) revenues increased 17.4% and Asia-Pacific sales advanced 27.2% in the third quarter, well ahead of the Americas' 3.8% growth. Sonos also has more than 17 million households and more than 53 million connected devices, supporting repeat-purchase potential.
Apple Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) markets HomePod as a smart-home speaker, adding a major technology platform to the connected-audio landscape. Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) is extending Alexa+ across Echo devices as Sonos moves toward conversational computing. That raises the execution burden across hardware, software and marketing.
SONO Signals Point to Patience, Not a Clear BuyThe improving revenue trend, product cadence and liquidity argue against a bearish view, but the near-term margin reset makes the risk-reward balance less decisive. Investors may want clearer evidence that memory-cost mitigation can stabilize profitability without slowing household growth.
SONO currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Its VGM Score of A and Growth Score of A are favorable, while the Value Score of B is also supportive. The Momentum Score of C is less compelling for near-term timing. Because the Style Scores complement rather than override the Zacks Rank, the current setup favors patience over an aggressive buy stance.
